Heir of the Sage
by The Metal Sage
Summary: Naruto's fateful battle on the Valley takes him to a new world so different from his own. Now, the heir to the ancient Sage of the Six Paths must forge his own destiny by facing the challenges ahead. NarutoXMulti
1. Brave New World

**Naruto and Marvel belong to Masashi Kishimoto and Disney respectively.**

 **AN: Well, here it is, the promised Naruto and Marvel crossover. I am starting with a prologue to explain Naruto's ancestry and his relation to the Sage.**

 **It will eventually also incorporate DC and other properties, both from western and eastern entertainment. It may incorporate from other manga as well that take place on Earth, rather than a fictionalized world.**

 **This fic and will mostly feature storylines and characters from 80's, 90's and 2000's Marvel and DC, along with some storylines I will try to come up with. Don't expect the story to take place solely on Earth 616, I can pull inspiration from the Multiverse at will. Continuity be damned.**

 **It should be noted that I am COMPLETELY IGNORING everything done during Axel Alonso's tenure at Marvel as EiC, especially Bendis' run on X-men. If you happen to be a fan of recent Marvel and their writers, then I recommend you tread at your own caution.**

 **This fic will also be updated at a lower pace, since I am still devoting most of my attention to "A Godfather's Promise", and because I want to read up some more Marvel and DC before I proceed with further interactions.**

 **Thank you and enjoy chapter 1 of Heir of the Sage.**

"Dialogue"

' _Thoughts'_

" _Foreign languages"_

" _ **Jutsu/Technique"**_

 **Chapter I: Brave New World**

Discovering the past is an art that many civilizations try to grasp to better get an understanding of themselves and their world. But for many people 'the past' is subjective. What do they mean by the past? Is it the past of their world? The past of their nation, their land – their family? The mere talk of history is such a subjective term.

The shinobi clans will do their best to archive the history of their clan; their leaders and their accomplishments. The Kage will try to archive the past of their village, from its foundation to the present day. The daimyō will do the same for the history of their nation. More advanced scholars will go further, to a past so muddy that they are sometimes unable to tell the difference between truth and myth.

In the case of one very special thirteen-year-old boy, his history was important for all aspects.

In order to begin this tale, we must first begin with a man who shaped the multiverse as we know it. A man name Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo. He was born to a woman who ate the fruit of the God Tree, and as such became a goddess over the universe, a woman known as Kaguya.

After defeating his tyrant mother with the help of his brother to seal the Ten-Tailed beast, Hagoromo began his true work in shaping the multiverse. With the help of the inner ability known as chakra, he began the practice of Ninshū and spread it to his followers in order to attain peace.

It was no wonder that Hagoromo became known as the Savior, a god amongst men, the Sage of the Six Paths.

But before he became this, he was aware that he needed to have an heir to continue his work. Before disappearing forever, he gathered all his sons and daughters. Because of his immense and at times unstable power, only two of his sons managed to get a substantial – if not complete – part of his power.

Ashura and Indra.

Indra, the oldest, inherited his eyes. The Sharingan was the precursor to his Rinnegan, but Indra was much too sheltered to experience the pressure necessary to advance to the ringed eyes his father had.

Ashura, the younger one, inherited his father's body, and the special chakra that came with it.

A battle took place, one that eventually ended in Ashura's favor but their families would forever be locked into battle, a battle of not only men and power, but of ideals. Ashura's Senju Clan and Indra's Uchiha Clan.

It is unknown for how much both clans fought each other, but they eventually managed to stop when the prodigies of both clans fought against each other. One was a man named Senju Hashirama, leader of the Senju Clan. The other was named Uchiha Madara, leader of the Uchiha clan. Once best friends, they became bitter rivals and fought numerous times until Hashirama's dream of a shinobi village was agreed upon.

Hashirama and Madara's new alliance did not last. Soon, it devolved once again into the ages-old feud between the heirs of the Sage's sons. A feud that seemingly ended in a lonely valley at the edge of Hi no Kuni (Land of Fire). The fierce battle ended in Hashirama's favor, with Madara thought dead.

But Madara did not die, he lived. Crippled… but very much alive, he crawled through pain, wounds, and sorrow…. he survived. Near death, he encountered a blonde woman before he managed to pass out.

She was a nurse for a nearby village. Tall, with bright, spiky blonde – almost yellow – hair, and sparkling blue eyes. These traits were more commonly found in the village of Kumogakure and the Land of Lighting than in Konoha.

"You were lucky to live. A few more minutes without medical attention and you would have died," Namikaze Harue had said to him.

Indeed, even with his powerful body it took several weeks for Madara to be fully recover inside of Harue's forest house.

She had been a medic before, her parents killed during the endless wars that plagued the Nations for millennia. Harue's family indeed originated from Kaminari no Kuni, and she sported the blonde hair and blue eyes that were characteristic of a sector of the population from the northern country.

Madara found her optimism to be sickening. He had been a man that had seen the worst of humanity, all of his family and loved ones had been stripped from him. With loneliness, came the hatred that burned so brightly on all Uchiha. A hatred that he thought could never be abated.

So, it seemed a mystery even to Madara just how he managed to fall in love with such a woman. After he recovered, he did not leave, his pride would not allow him to simply receive medical care without compensation. Knowing that she needed help with local rogue shinobi thugs, Madara decided to stay and defend the young woman that had saved him from death.

Years later, she was pregnant with his child.

Madara felt a little guilty of the fact. He was older than her by quite a margin. He believed that Hashirama may have already have grandchildren by the time he conceived with Harue. Still, the young woman was ecstatic as she waited for her young child to be brought into the world.

Madara would never see her give birth.

One day, as he was returning from the nearby village, he found only the remains of their home. Burned down by brigands.

Filled with loss and hatred, Madara did not see the evidence that pointed towards Harue's survival. Instead he tracked down each and every one of the nuke-nin and killed them. He then remembered his thoughts when Izuna was killed, the overwhelming grief of losing your loved ones.

He retired from all life and began enacting his plan. A plan where he could live with Izuna and Harue, a plan to rid the world of war, hate, and sorrow.

A world where there would be no losers.

Unbeknownst to him, Harue was eventually found by Konoha shinobi before she managed to give birth. She died bringing her son into the world. The last words from her mouth was the name that she would give him.

Minato.

He would grow to become the fourth Hokage. Marrying the hidden great-granddaughter of Senju Hashirama and Uzumaki Mito. Her name was Kushina, and together they would have a son. The first person in history to have both Senju and Uchiha blood.

Where Ashura and Indra fought against each other, and their descendants continued to war for millennia. Minato and Kushina loved, and their love would produce a son. The first person in history to have both Senju and Uchiha blood since the Sage himself.

His name is Uzumaki Naruto. Jinchūriki of the Nine-tailed fox.

* * *

Pain.

Naruto had never felt pain such as the one he had been experiencing now. None of his previous fights had prepared him for such an overwhelming feeling at that moment. Not when he had stabbed himself in his hand during his first mission, or his fights with Kiba, Neji or Gaara. Not even when he managed to defeat Kabuto.

The pain he felt as his best friends' hand entered so close to his heart gave him pain on a scale that was incomparable to those previously. He could feel it in his body, causing agony with every little movement it made.

But it was not only the fist shoved into Naruto's chest that caused him such suffering… it was the fact that the person who was doing it to him was his best friend, Uchiha Sasuke, who had used his **Chidori** – an assassination technique – in order to stop Naruto from returning him to Konoha.

Naruto had grown up hated, ignored… resented. He saw every other person his age with his or her parents, saw the joy in their eyes as they called for the ones they loved, all of them except him, who had no parents or loved ones to go back to at home. Iruka had been there for him, but at the end of the day it was not the same.

He did not think that there was anyone who could truly know what it was like except for Sasuke, who had also no parents to go back to. That's why the betrayal hurt so badly, a betrayal from the boy he considered to be his best friend.

' _Sasuke…'_

From the pain, a new sensation starting welling up in him. It took some time for Naruto to realize that this was anger. Anger at the betrayal, anger at the pain, anger at his best friend. A familiar feeling came with the rage, one of a violent chakra – courtesy of the giant nine-tailed fox living up inside him – and it seemed to be directed straight at the dark-haired Uchiha in front of him.

There was, however, something different that he perceived, something that he had never felt before, centered solely in his eyesight. The world seemed… clearer, more evident than ever before. It was as if he had spent his entire life with blinders on and they were suddenly lifted.

Inside of him another entity was similarly flabbergasted as to what his host was feeling. Kurama's reaction to the matter however, was far more perturbed than Naruto's.

' _This chakra… it can't be… Madara?!'_

The mighty nine-tailed fox – strongest of the nine Bijū – certainly remembered the distinct malevolent chakra that the legendary Uchiha radiated when he put Kurama under his control with those hateful eyes. Eyes that the young Uchiha also had.

Eyes that he now felt his host also had.

' _How is this possible? How can Kushina's brat have those eyes?!'_

Kurama had felt even early on in Kushina and her spawn another chakra, similar to the other shinobi that had once been able to control him, Senju Hashirama.

That had made more sense, however. It was known that his first host was the Shodaime's wife, Uzumaki Mito. Kurama just assumed that Kushina may have been a hidden grand-daughter of Mito's, hidden away on Uzu no Kuni until it was time for him to be sealed into the younger Kushina.

But Madara… how is it that he feels Madara's chakra? How is it that _Uzumaki Naruto_ has the Sharingan?

' _Is he an Uchiha? That's impossible. He shares none of the classic traits. I can understand if he is a Senju; rumor has been that Kushina was a descendant of the Shodai Hokage… but how could her brat have Uchiha blood? Was it his damned father, the Fourth? Was he a secret Uchiha bastard? Impossible!'_

Naruto was completely oblivious to his tenant's inner turmoil, the only thing he was focused on was the increasingly bewildered face of Sasuke. At first, he believed it was because of his rapidly healing wound, but then realized that he was not looking at the hole in his chest.

He was looking directly at Naruto's eyes.

"Wha – How?! How do you have those eyes?!" Sasuke demanded, his face conveying both shock and anger simultaneously.

Naruto did not think about what he was saying. He did not have the mind for it. His rage clouded all judgement and the first reaction he had to Sasuke was to send his closed fist straight to the Uchiha's face.

The fight carried on for both of them, but it was but a blur to Naruto. His anger did not allow him to focus, it was just a flurry of fists and techniques. All the while, he felt his vision aiding him in ways he had never imagines. He started to see the world in a whole different way, perceiving movements that he would otherwise have missed previously.

It did not do much however, Sasuke was still his rival for a reason and that seemed to be heightened very much by his now fully matured Sharingan. For every fist that he managed to connect, Sasuke evaded four. Thankfully, he was also able to predict most of Sasuke's movements as well.

He was confused. When he had accessed Kyūbi's chakra previously it did not have this effect on his eyesight. It truly made him wonder what was happening.

' _Is it a side effect? Am I getting more in tune with the Kyūbi? What is happening?'_

He did not have to wait long for the answer. Sasuke made sure he knew exactly was what new to him.

"Naruto! How do you have those eyes?! How do you have the Sharingan?!"

Naruto almost recoiled at the accusation. The Sharingan?

He quickly looked down at the water, trying with some difficulty to gaze upon his reflection on the clear surface. Sure enough, instead of the usual sky that were the color of his eyes, a blood red with one tomoe on each looked back at him. There was no mistaking it, it was the Sharingan. The eyes of the Uchiha Clan.

' _What… how can this be… I'm not an Uchiha. I'm just an orphan… it's not possible! How can I have the Sharingan?'_

He did not have any more time to ponder over his new eyes. Sasuke was once again upon him, a Fire jutsu already being channeled.

" **Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu!"** shouted Sasuke as he let out a volley of small fireballs, all aimed at him.

Using his newly improved eyesight, Naruto managed to evade the torrent with easy. He suddenly remembered what was happening before the revelation. The fight with Sasuke… and the anger that came with it.

Power… unbridled power came along with the anger. He could barely see the crimson chakra as it started to envelop him, giving Naruto a sort of cloak that had the likeness of a fox. His whiskers darkened, with a more pronounced appearance. Claws replaced nails and Sharingan eyes became even more feral.

Naruto and Sasuke continued to fight, but he knew that it was time for it to come to an end. Standing on either side of the giant statues of Konoha's founders, they each prepared their signature moves. Sasuke's **Chidori** was powered by Orochimaru's cursed seal while Naruto's **Rasengan** was enhanced by Kyūbi's chakra.

They looked at each other. They were both enemies, rivals… and friends. Each of them bridling with determination as they launched themselves forwards and connected their attacks.

" **Chidori!"**

" **Rasengan!"**

The force of both jutsu meeting was immense, the sheer energy expanding beyond their hands and bodies, threatening to tear both young boys' bodies to pieces yet they remained whole. The world seemed to shatter around Naruto, all reality that was ripping itself apart.

Light surrounded him, all pain from the battle seemingly forgotten. Then Naruto knew no more as he lost all consciousness.

* * *

Hagoromo had lost count of how many years had passed since he passed away. Surviving as a being of pure energy and thought, the Sage of the Six Paths had continued to observe the Universe in its entirety with constant vigil. To many it would make little sense, his once god-like power was now gone, he could affect the world of the living in little capacity.

The legendary Sage even debated with himself as to the true necessity of his actions. Why does he continue to observe as his bloodlines died out, as the only two that still remain continue to fight each other ever since his two most gifted children began to fight over their father's legacy as the masters of Ninshū. What morbid fascination causes him to look as this holy path was transformed into Ninjutsu, a path that has brought death and pain to the land that once called him 'God'.

Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo finally admitted to himself that it was because he wanted to see if his actions made the world a better place.

Some planets he had visited certainly ended up better than before. Technology advancements were achieved and the people led prosperous lives. But what of his home planet? The planet that he had saved from the clutches of his mother, Kaguya?

War had followed, the descendants of Ashura and Indra never being able to forgive one another, constantly in a struggle of supremacy, never seeming to mind as their children died barely knowing what the joys of life can truly be.

But there was one ray of hope, a child descended from both Ashura and Indra. It took thousands of years for their chakra to coalesce into one being, but it was finally together in the body of a thirteen-year-old shinobi.

A shinobi that also carried Kurama inside him. The most difficult of his… creations.

It took so long… but he could recognize chakra similar to his own in the boy, even if he had not realized his true potential, one that would shake the universe to its core, just like he had done so long ago.

Now he saw as his young descendant was travelling across space, taking him from his birth planet of Gaia to another one. He still did not know where he would end or if he would ever return to Konoha and his planet or the challenges that he would face in the future. He only knew that this was far from the end for the young jinchūriki

' _Was my world a failure or a success? Uzumaki Naruto… you will grow and prosper. I will keep my eyes on you. It will be up to you to decide.'_

* * *

Blackness was the first thing Naruto saw when he opened his eyes, now once again blue in color. A pool of space that seemed to go on forever, like staring at a sky with no stars or moon.

Lights did start to appear after a time, small dots that seemed to be getting larger and larger with each passing moment, eventually becoming immense when he got close enough to see. Colors then reigned his sight, like seeing thousands of suns and moons and planets from up close, going so fast that he never had the chance to see each of them fully.

Naruto closed his eyes then, unable to keep seeing the things around him that threatened madness. It certainly helped, but he could still _feel_ as he was floating, so fast yet so lightly across wherever he might be.

The darkness started to clear even with closed eyelids. The figure of two orbs similar to eyes that peered straight into his soul.

They certainly looked like eyes, but they were the oddest things he had ever seen. A light purple with rings in a ripple like pattern, yet they were certainly eyes.

The eyes gave way to a dark figure, but Naruto could not make any distinctions for the life of him, just the shadow of a person with weird eyes.

' _Who are you'_ thought the blonde as he continued to drift off.

"Uzumaki Naruto… you will decide," said the voice and then Naruto knew no more of the figure as the world seemed to stop.

When he finally landed, it was only his back. It was not as painful as he thought it would have been, but it still managed to hurt enough as to make him grunt through the exhaustion.

Naruto could barely manage to open his eyes. Standing up was an even greater struggle. He felt just as bad – if not worse – than after his fight with Gaara. Still, he managed to struggle until he was once again on his two feet.

He immediately started to take in his surroundings.

He was in what seemed to be an alleyway, something that was familiar for him but the overall feel of the place was completely alien. Looking at the buildings on either side of him, Naruto saw that they were _immense._ Never had he seen an architecture so industrial and so _tall_.

Taking the first steps was even harder, but eventually managed to get himself out of the alleyway to this new place he suddenly found himself in.

The blonde jinchūriki barely managed to take a quick step back, narrowly avoiding what seemed to be a high-speed cart rolling across the street. Naruto quickly took a look to see that the gray pavement was filled with these strange carts that seemed to be emitting lights from the front and small red lights from the back. There seemed to be no horses or men that propelling the vehicle, seemingly moving out of their own accord. He did see that there were people inside of them, apparently controlling them in some way or another.

One of the strange metal carts – yellow in color – made a noise at him, the driver started to talk to him but Naruto did not understand any of the words being said. After looking at each other strangely, the man gave just him a dirty look and sped away forwards.

The people walking around him were also giving him strange looks. Naruto was already used to being stared at with disdain, but these looks seemed to convey more curiosity rather than contempt.

The people themselves were also using clothes that looked completely alien. They did not seem like shinobi and the civilians that Naruto was used to seeing used more formal clothing. Looking at some of the women, they wore clothes that most non-shinobi would consider scandalous.

Some of them started to talk, but once again he did not understand. Naruto tried to communicate with them, but likewise, he got confused looks. He heard the word "Japan" being mentioned more than once.

Between the people speaking, the metal carts blaring, the masses walking about, and the stores shouting orders, Naruto had never heard so much _noise_ in his entire life. How is anyone able to concentrate?

' _What is this place?'_ thought Naruto with increasing panic. _'I have never seen things such as these, there are lights everywhere! I can't understand what anyone is saying!'_

Another though then came to him however. He was in a foreign place, maybe even a foreign village. It would not be long before a shinobi force came to look out for him. Still wearing his Konoha headband, he imagined that he would make a tempting target.

Thinking quickly, Naruto decided to step back into the alleyway, far from the people and the attention. Perhaps a bird's eye view of the are would help him regain his bearings?

He looked at one of the large buildings and quickly ran over to it, channeling chakra to his feet in an attempt to climb the large structure.

He did not get more than five steps before the control over his chakra went haywire and caused him to fall flat on his back.

' _Shit… what happened?'_ Naruto thought. He hadn't had this much trouble with his chakra control, not even when Orochimaru had messed with the Fox's seal on his stomach. He quickly tried to make afew clones, only to find out that he could barely make a single one.

' _Is my chakra gone? Have I lost some of my reserves thanks to the battle?'_

No. Naruto could still feel his immense and powerful chakra, but it was unrestrained and raw. He was unable to mold it enough to use it. Briefly, he wondered if it was because it had increased or had been altered in some way.

The orange-clad jinchūriki did not have to time to ponder for long. Immediately he started to hear a high-pitched blaring sound coming from all directions, followed by what seemed like even bigger black metal carts blocking all exits of the alley.

From the carts, armored men started to pour out, quickly forming a perimeter and encircling Naruto. They were all clad in black and they were carrying strange devices that were pointed directly at him. The blue-eyed shinobi did not know exactly what they were, but his training told him that when something was pointed at him, it was a threat.

One of the men started to shout at him, once again in the strange language that he could not decipher. Naruto tried to speak out.

"Hey! What's the big idea here?!" he shouted. To his surprise one of the armored men actually started to talk back to him.

"Freeze! Put your hands in the air and don't move! If you don't comply, we will take action!" shouted the man, albeit with some difficulty. It seemed as if his speech was broken on some areas, almost like a five-year-old trying to speak words that he did not fully understand.

Naruto thought for a moment. These men were already threatening him and seemed to be extremely hostile. They were no doubt intending to take him prisoner. If that happened, then who knew what the leaders of this village would do to him.

Quickly, Naruto passed his hand over his shinobi pouch, remembering that most of his equipment fell from it during his fight with Sasuke, but there were still a couple of smoke bombs left.

He made his decision. Before the men could react, Naruto threw a couple of smoke bombs on the ground and once again ran towards the large building. The orange-clad shinobi concentrated really hard on his chakra control, this time he successfully managed to start running on the vertical surface like he was used to.

Every step seemed like agony, exhaustion once again creeping unto him. Naruto's mind couldn't help but start to have doubts if he would be able to reach the top without his chakra control once again failing him and causing him to fall down to the mercy of the hostiles below him.

To his great relief, Naruto managed to reach the top of the building and nearly collapsed from the immeasurable fatigue but managed to keep his eyes open. His body did not react for a couple of minutes, falling face down on the floor of the rooftop. The young shinobi wanted to drift away to blissful sleep, but knew he could not do so, he needed to stay alert in case they followed him.

Naruto regained his bearings and once again stood up, carefully peering over the edge to see just where exactly he was.

He was completely struck at the sight that greeted him.

The placed seemed endless. Lights from buildings covered Naruto's entire view. Konoha never had this much activity at night, yet this 'village' – if it could be called as such – did not seem to sleep. The sounds never ceased. Thousands of the metal carts where going from one place to another. The whole thing seemed almost like an ant-hive that Shino would study in detail.

' _Just where exactly am I?'_

Unknown to Naruto, as he gazed upon his surroundings, there were forces that were already well aware of his presence and were currently on the hunt for this new strange arrival.

* * *

 **Twenty minutes previously**

"Report!" commanded the voice of what seemed to be a well built middle aged man. Aside from his imposing physique, the most notable traits were the grey hairs on each side of his head and an eyepatch covering his left eye.

"Sir! We detected a strange energy source of massive proportions concentrating on Hell's Kitchen, our readings were off the charts," responded a rather tall young woman with dark hair and brown eyes.

This was Maria Hill, a recent addition to the organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D., she was currently reporting to the director of said organization, Nicholas Fury.

"What is the assessment, Agent Hill? Is this an extraterrestrial weapon?" asked the grizzled commander.

Maria shook her head. "Not as far as we know. There was no damage to the surroundings. Satellite images point towards an individual."

"A person? You mean an alien?" questioned Fury.

"That's exactly what it seems," responded Maria.

Nick Fury pondered the information for only a couple of seconds. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s main occupation was to combat threats to the entire world, whether they were domestic or extraterrestrial. Looking at the young agent, he gave his orders.

"Assemble three strike teams and bring the subject back to headquarters for questioning. If it is hostile, the use of force is permitted, but I want it alive. Move out!"

* * *

Away from the giant city of New York, there were a few other individuals that were aware of the new arrival. They did not have the technology of S.H.I.E.L.D., but with a single device, they were able to pinpoint the exact location.

Professor Charles Xavier was in deep underground as he was strapped to Cerebro. He did not have to concentrate very hard to find the source of the disturbance. It was akin to finding a bright light in a dark room.

The power was immense, if uncontrolled. Not even Jean had released such a presence when he found her for the first time when she tragically awakened her own powers. Cerebro had not yet picked up the particular powers this young mutant, but he imagined that with the proper training, they could flourish to make him or her one of the strongest mutants currently on Earth.

Which meant that there would be others who would seek him out.

Organizations and people such as Magneto or the government would be drawn to his power like moths to a flame. Xavier knew he needed to contact this young mutant and keep him hidden from people who would seek to destroy or corrupt him.

He heard a metal door hiss open and felt a familiar presence behind him.

"Logan," said Xavier, "good evening. How are you?"

"Nothing new," came the gruff tone of Logan, better known as Wolverine. "What did you manage to pick up? Even I felt the presence, and I'm no telepath."

"It's male, that's for sure. Young… scared… powerful. I don't think he is from this world. How is Jean?" responded Xavier.

"She's sleeping now. Storm took her to bed so she can rest," said Wolverine. "What are his powers?"

"Good. Get the Blackbird ready and call Ororo, we must get to him before anyone else. With this amount of power, he is a danger to not only others but also himself," ordered Xavier as he unhooked himself from Cerebro. "As for his abilities, still unknown. There seems to be some kind of energy manipulation, but Cerebro was not clear on it. What does seem to be the case is that we may be dealing with a telekinetic as well as a telepath. That's why we must go to him as fast as possible."

"It won't be easy Chuck. S.H.I.E.L.D. may already be after him. I'm sure other government agencies have caught wind of him now. Reed Richards and Stephen Strange won't be far behind, and then there's Magneto – "

"I will deal with Erik if it comes to that. But you are powerless against him, if there are any others that try to harm him then you can intervene, but leave Magneto to Ororo and myself," ordered Xavier as they both started to make their way to the ground level of the large mansion.

"Storm is still too young, barely older than Jean, pitting her against Magneto is a bad idea," countered Logan.

"She will have me aiding her. We don't want to defeat Erik anyway, just distract him enough so that you can convince this new mutant to join us," insisted Xavier with a tone of finality.

"I am not the best with pep talks, Chuck. That's your area," Logan grumbled but eventually hurried back to follow Xavier's requests. Not even ten minutes had passed before a fully outfitted Wolverine, Storm and Professor X were aboard the X-Jet, ready to greet this potential new recruit.

* * *

 **Back to Naruto**

Naruto was still looking at the great expanse of lights until he first heard it. Thoughts… _noise_ like he had never heard before, all of them in this strange language. It seemed as though everyone was talking at once, pounding into his head. It hurt so much that he almost did not hear the whirring sound that was fast approaching the rooftop.

' _What is happening? Why is there so much noise? Where am I? Did I die? Is this hell?'_

Thoughts blurred by Naruto as much as the noise, eventually the wind caused by another _flying_ object managed to snap him out his trance.

"This is the United States government! Keep your hands in the air and surrender peacefully or we will respond with force!" came a loud voice, distorted by a speaker.

' _Shut up… shut up… leave me alone!'_ thought Naruto as he impulsively thrust his palms at the flying object. To his shock, it seemed as if it tumbled lightly, going out of control momentarily before regaining its composure.

Naruto concentrated fully on the flying transport. He tried to mold enough chakra to conjure more clones and be able to distract it enough to escape. His chakra control had other plans, however, and once again was met with failure.

" _Kuso…_ why now of all times?"

Just as the object was getting closer, it suddenly stopped, much to Naruto's confusion. His instincts told him to look behind him and he did so.

Naruto looked over at a tall man, outfitted with a costume that was both red with traces of purple. A metal helmet covered his face. The most shocking thing however, was the fact that this man seemed to be _floating_ on air.

The man had one hand in front of him, pointed at the flying apparatus. He started to move it on one direction and the black vehicle started to move along the path that the hand was being pointed against.

' _He's controlling it!'_ Naruto realized as he watched in awe.

The figure then propelled the vehicle far away, crashing it against another one of the buildings. Naruto saw that the people inside barely had enough time to jump out of the metal machine in order to not be caught in the crash.

The orange-clad shinobi turned his gaze back to the figure, seeing that he was extending his hand over to him, as if welcoming a new ally towards his side.

' _He did get rid of them. Maybe I should go with him… but the way he almost killed those people… there may have been innocents involved. Think back on what Kakashi-sensei said! Don't trust anyone when alone!'_

Naruto's hand went pack to his pouch. Only one smoke bomb left.

He needed to make it count.

With blinding speed, Naruto threw the bomb at the floor and without thinking, he jumped from the precipice unto the floor below. The blonde channeled what remaining chakra he could to his feet, bracing his body for the landing.

Yet, even with his shinobi body, the impact of the landing was far greater than he was used to. As if his chakra enhanced body – which could withstand damage that could easily kill a civilian – had suffered a major downgrade during his travel. He would need to get it back in to shape… and fast.

' _Lower chakra control, hearing voices. What's next?'_

Dropping smack dab in the middle of traffic apparently.

The vehicles started to make beeping sounds, one after the other. He lay in the middle of the street. It must have made quite the sight, seeing a blonde haired bloodied boy dropping from the sky and landing with no apparent damage.

' _No time to think, I have to get away fast. Go where nobody can find me.'_

His first instinct was to lose himself in the crowd, but with his chakra control he would not be able to do a good enough **Henge.** He needed to put as much distance between both the armed men and the creepy floating dude.

Naruto instantly saw another alleyway and quickly made his way to it, hoping to lose them in the massive streets that seemed to be endless in this giant village.

Luck seemed to be on his side for once. After exiting the alleyways, Naruto saw a large park that did not seem to have that many people. Hiding was a specialty of his, you do not learn to run away from the Konoha shinobi after pranking them and not get a few tips on concealment. These people did not seem to be shinobi, so it would be far easier to avoid them.

He could not say the same for the creepy floating dude however. He would need to see if his ruse was successful. After using his last smoke bomb, Naruto did not have many chances left to escape, at least not in his current state. He needed to rest… rest and asses the situation so that he may find a way to get back to Konoha.

A gust of wind was the first indication that he was still being followed. Groaning, he briefly turned back to see who was coming next.

She was in the sky, and by she, Naruto meant one of the most beautiful girls he had ever seen.

The woman had dark skin and white hair. The blonde jinchūriki had heard that the people native to Kaminari no Kuni had a similar skin tone, as well as the hair color.

' _Am I in Kumo? There's no way their village is this different from us!'_

Beauty was one thing. Naruto had seen beautiful girls and women before: Ino, TenTen, Kurenai-sensei, Gaara's hot sister, the psycho snake-lady, Koyuki-hime… but none of them dressed like this one.

She was wearing all black, the material seemed to shine. It was skin-tight, showing her figure perfectly. There was a cape, a headdress, and thigh high boots, those seemed to be perfectly normal, it was the rest of the outfit that really showed her off.

It was like one of those racy swimsuits some daring girls would wear, only this one covered a little more and were connected with a large ring that secured them together.

' _Who knew Kumo shinobi dressed like this? Ero-sennin would have a field day!'_

The black-skinned woman started to descend towards Naruto's direction. He instantly went to pick up a kunai he still had left but did not brandish it yet.

She seemed harmless enough, there was even a small, warm smile upon her lips, but Naruto knew that this could very well be a ploy to get him to lower his defenses. She appeared to be only a few years older than him but was even taller than Tsunade.

The beautiful woman seemed to perceive his uneasiness and immediately showed her hands in a pacifying manner, as if trying to display peaceful intentions. She then started to speak… and once again he did not understand what she was saying.

"I'm sorry… I can't understand what you are saying. Um… I need to go… bye!" said Naruto with tinted cheeks at seeing the woman up close.

He then promptly turned away and ran as fast as he could.

* * *

Ororo Munroe looked on as the ragged blonde ran away from her, speaking a tongue that she vaguely recognized as Japanese. He seemed panicked, but practiced, like he was used to danger.

She quickly concentrated on the Professor's telepathic connection.

" _I've made contact with him. Logan… you need to speak to him"_ communicated Storm.

" _Hmph… I told you, I'm no good with pep talks,"_ responded Wolverine.

" _You are the only one who can. This boy speaks Japanese… you're the only one I know that knows how to speak it."_

It was Xavier's voice that interrupted.

" _How was he Ororo? Was he well?"_ asked the Professor.

" _Blonde with blue eyes. His clothes were torn, like he just came out of a battle. He was bloodied and bruised, there was a hole close to his heart, but it seems to have healed. He looked really tired though, about to collapse,"_ answered Storm.

She did think that the whisker marks on his cheeks were a little cute but decided to keep that information to herself.

" _You said he speaks Japanese. Does he have any relation to Shiro Yoshida?"_ asked Wolverine. _"Chuck. You said he just appeared suddenly and with no explanation, how is it that he speaks Japanese?"_

" _I do not know, but Ororo is right. You are the only one that can communicate with him,"_ responded Xavier.

" _Heh… fine! But you tag along, Storm. I don't want to scare the kid away."_

Storm waited for Wolverine to come to her location. Trying as hard as she could to keep a track on the runaway blonde. It was hard. He seemed to have a knack for hiding himself.

"Here I am, let's get this kid fast before Magneto catches up," said Wolverine as he finally caught up to her.

Ororo felt a presence behind them however, and both of them immediately turned back to see the Master of Magnetism himself floating above them.

"Too late," stated Ororo dryly.

"Step aside," commanded Magneto, his face hidden away in that dark helmet which blocked all forms of telepathy.

Wolverine glared at the man. "What do you want, bub? I suggest you leave now before the government picks our trail once again."

"I will not allow you to take another young mutant away and feed him Charles' pathetic ideas," stated Magneto with contempt. "You will step back and allow me to teach the boy his rightful place on this Earth. The rightful place of all mutants. You will not poison him with foolish dreams of cooperation with the humans."

"You know not what you speak," responded Storm.

"Do I not? Is he not being pursued by the humans at this very moment. What do you think they will do to him?" drawled the Master of Magnetism. "Will they treat him as another human?" he asked, anger evident in his voice. "No! They will kill him if he's lucky. If he's not, they will experiment on him, torture him, turn him into a weapon against his own kind. The same will be done to you one day if you do not take a stand."

It was then that a new voice suddenly sprung into attention.

"Do you really wish to fight now, Erik?" asked Xavier, his wheelchair advancing at the trio. "The government is after him now. If you take him, they will pursue you. I can use my connections to stop them for the meanwhile and prevent them from coming after us."

Silence reigned for a few seconds, neither party willing to start fighting each other. Finally, Magneto responded.

"Mutant blood will not be spilled this day, Charles," declared Magneto. "But remember, the day will come when humans will know about us, when conflict will be unavoidable. I hope you are ready for the day when it comes to make a choice. Them or us… I have already made my decision."

With that said, Magneto once again took to the air and disappeared on the night sky.

Xavier sighed lightly in relief. Now they only needed to get the young mutant before quickly.

* * *

Naruto was panting loudly, he could just not take it anymore. The blonde tried to remember what had happened before the last time he went to sleep. He had fought that weird bone guy, reached Sasuke, somehow awakened the Sharingan and fought his best friend with aid from the furball's chakra, which resulted in him… travelling… to this place. Then he had spent the last few intense minutes running away from moving metal carts, floating men, and a very pretty lady.

In that moment, Naruto truly felt what it meant to be tired, now more than ever, he wanted to be back in his small apartment on his shitty bed.

A familiar gust of wind breezed behind Naruto, causing him to groan tiredly. Sure enough, behind him stood the pretty dark-skinned lady, this time accompanied by a short, tough, looking man and another bald one on a wheelchair.

With protesting arms, he pointed his last weapon – a kunai – directly at them.

"Stop!" Naruto slurred with exhaustion. "Leave me alone! I'm warning you!"

The blonde jinchūriki saw as the short man nodded to the bald one, then started to walk over slowly to him.

"Easy there, kid. We're not here to hurt you," he announced with a language the jinchūriki finally recognized as his own.

"Then what do you want?" asked Naruto, his stance tumbling now from sheer fatigue.

The man reached over to him slowly, grabbing his arm and lowering the kunai. "All will be explained," he assured. "But you must come with us, before those men come back. We'll give you food and a place to rest, just come over kid."

Kakashi and Iruka would have skinned him alive, accepting such an offer from strangers, but the promise of rest and shelter was now too much. He doubted he could go on for another ten minutes before collapsing.

Naruto nodded and put away the kunai, dragging his feet over to them. "What is your name?"

"Logan," answered the wild, short man.

The other two seemed to take the hint easily enough.

"Ororo Munroe," said the dark-skinned girl.

Then the bald one said his name as well. "Charles Xavier."

The blue-eyed jinchūriki gave a weak smile. "Naruto… Uzumaki Naruto."

And with that, Naruto fell face first into Ororo's arms and drifted off into blissful unconsciousness.

 **AN: Song recommendation for the chapter is "Brave New World" from Iron Maiden's 2000 comeback album of the same name.**

 **The Naruto and Sasuke fight was pretty rushed, I know. I really only wanted this to be the trigger for Naruto's journey to Earth. I only started to write early this year, and I'm still learning not only how to write fights, but there's also the fact that English is my second language. Hope to get better with time.**

 **So, the Sage's story is non-compliant with canon. He also did way more for the universe than in canon and grew up to be more powerful than his mother. Those things will be later explained as the story progresses.**

 **So, just to recap: Naruto is still the son of Kushina and Minato, however, Kushina is the granddaughter of Hashirama. Her mother was sent to Uzu no Kuni as part of their agreement with the Uzumaki clan, while Tsunade's father stayed in Konoha and the Senju clan. Minato on the other hand, is the hidden son of Madara with a woman from Kumo. Naruto is thus the descendent of both Ashura and Indra, of the Senju and Uchiha clans, thus being the true heir of Hagoromo, the Sage of the Six Paths.**

 **Naruto is a mutant. Aside from his bloodline "mutation", I've decided to make him a telekinetic and a telepath. Not the most original but I think they are very in line with the powers I will give him later on, being Hagoromo's heir and all. They also seem to be some of the most useful abilities in Marvel. Don't worry, Naruto won't be powerful from the get go, he is rather weak right now. We will be starting with the X-Men for now, adding other characters native to NYC. He will be getting more powerful though, there are many god-level threats in both the Marvel and DC universes.**

 **I debated on what incarnation of the X-Men I should place this on. The Stan Lee/Kirby run? The Claremont run? The 90's cartoon? The 90's comics? The movies? The Ultimate Universe?**

 **In the end, I decided to take some inspiration from all of them. Since Naruto is still a teenager, I decided to initially place a setting similar to the Evolution TV series, but I won't limit myself to it. I expect that some elements from the comics and other series will appear.**

 **Eventually of course, we will bring other Marvel stuff into the mix in the future, I will also incorporate DC for a massive crossover. I already have a rough outline on how to do the first part of the story, and I'm currently working on the entire fanfic as a whole.**

 **If you have any storylines I think I should read, please recommend them through review or PM.**

 **Ororo's outfit is the same as her debut's in Giant Sized X-Men #1 and the one from the Phoenix Saga and Dark Phoenix Saga. Same with Wolverine, it's his initial costume.**

 **As for pairings. It's a harem. I won't type it here since it'll probably be too big to name them all. We are starting with mostly X-girls. Also, there may be some BDSM things going on there in the future. Not as heavy as my Harry Potter story, but still, don't be surprised if you see them.**

 **Thank you for checking out this story. Review if you have any questions, but I answer via PM, so try to do it on an account if possible.**

 **Until next time.**

 **The Metal Sage.**


	2. Stranger in a Strange Land

**Naruto and Marvel belong to Masashi Kishimoto and Disney respectively.**

 **AN: So, first of all I have to respond to something that has been pointed out in all my reviews.**

 **NARUTO HAS NOT BEEN NERFED!**

 **He still is a shinobi and hasn't lost his chakra. The combination of awakening his heritage, his mutation, and travelling across millions of light years will have some effects however and unbalancing his chakra control is part of it. Rest assured, however, that he will be back to normal and then some in the future.**

 **After careful deliberation, I have decided to not incorporate DC in this crossover like I had originally intended. I will probably do a Naruto/DC story in the future to make up for it though, it's just that I've been planning the story and DC makes it a jumbled mess. Overambition is often the death of great fics, so I've decided to keep it simpler yet controllable. It should make for a better story in the end.**

"Dialogue"

' _Thoughts'_

" _Foreign languages"_

" _ **Jutsu/Technique"**_

 **Chapter II: Stranger in a Strange Land**

Charles Xavier sat in front of a table contemplating their new arrival, still thinking heavily about how such a young boy could have such wounds, or the mutations that were normally reserved for people that were originally _homo_ _sapiens_ , humans.

That was not all however, despite his earlier assertions that this young mutant seemed to have abilities similar to himself and Jean's, a heavy cloud came into his powerful mind once he tried to further guess the blonde's powers. There might be other abilities he didn't even truly know about hidden underneath the guise of a young boy's body.

If his theory was correct, this boy came from another world entirely different from their own. Which made young Uzumaki's possession of an X-Gene even more vexing. How is it possible that an alien being seemed to be compatible with the genetics that classified the new species known as _homo superior_? What other… talents did he bring from his home reality or planet?

He would need to talk to his various contacts in order to be sure. The most important thing right now is to hide young "Uzumaki Naruto" – as he had called himself – and make sure he didn't fall into the wrong hands. A boy with so much potential would surely be coveted by less than illustrious people or organizations that would bring misery to the world, both humans and mutants.

The opening of an automatic door signaled the arrival of the only person that could serve as a bridge of communication between them and Uzumaki: Logan.

"Logan," said Xavier in a cool voice. "What are your thoughts on Uzumaki?"

"You ain't gonna read my mind for the answer to that, Chuck?" grumbled Logan.

Xavier looked at Logan seriously. "I have a code, did you forget? I do not pry into the minds of other so carelessly."

Logan grunted before he started to speak. "Well… he definitely speaks Japanese if that is what you're asking, but it was strange."

Xavier kept on looking at Logan with a steely gaze. "Strange in what way?"

"The dialect… I don't know how to explain, but it was different than what you hear the Japanese over hear talk," said Logan.

"Different in what way?" asked Xavier with a hint of curiosity.

Logan flexed his arms before continuing. "After the war and the integration of American culture into the Japanese mainland, many younger people started to integrate English words into their language, similar how the many immigrant groups did so in America with English. It's hard to say, but no Japanese youth – unless he was some sort of royalty – would be speaking in such an antiquated manner."

The bald leader of the X-Men started to think once again on the revelations being put forward. It gave even more credence to his idea that young Uzumaki Naruto was from another place entirely different from their own.

"That's not all, Chuck." Logan straightened himself again. "The movements that he had, his reactions and instincts… he's not just another normal boy. He's been trained – definitely military in some way. He even threw smoke bombs and _kunai_. There were some _shuriken_ in his pouches – feudal Japanese weapons. It's like the kid came out of the sixteenth century."

"Hmm." Xavier contemplated the information.

Child soldiers were unfortunately a problem that event their world had to deal with in several countries. Even the United States had such predilections even if they didn't reveal them to the public. It was unfortunate that someone so young would have to see the horrors that military conflicts could cause in the world.

Erik was only one of many who had been violently transformed by what they had seen during war's most depraved atrocities.

"I have been trying to find out more about young Uzumaki's abilities… but it seems there is more than meets the eyes. It's not just the X-Gene – there's more to him than that," explained Xavier as he started to move his chair closer to Logan.

The wild mutant grunted. "Try saying that again… there was a fist sized whole very close to his heart but it seemed healed, the blood on his clothes mean that it's recent. His body is also much more powerful than others his age."

Xavier nodded in agreement. He had noticed the young blonde jumping from the top of a twelve-story building and landing with apparent ease, no doubt attributed to his other unknown abilities.

"How is he now?" he finally asked.

"Resting. We patched up the rest of his injuries, but it was almost unnecessary. He's already healing rapidly," grunted Logan. "I wager he'll be awake in no time."

"Very well," drawled Xavier. "I'm sure you understand that you must be here in order for us to communicate with him. He will most likely have questions about us and what we do – he must not be scared away from this place," he continued before his voice turned even more serious. "Who knows what other people might do if he is alone and unprotected."

Logan snorted. "I think the little pint can take care of himself if you ask me. Don't worry Chuck, I'll be here to greet him to our little… group."

"How is the government responding to this?" asked Xavier. He had been unable to erase the event from the first responder's memories in time.

Logan stood silent for a moment before answering. "They're backing down now, but don't expect them to stay silent forever. There will come a time when… enhanced individuals become too many and their deeds too significant to hide."

"I feel that Jean has woken up," commented the psychic. His first student had been knocked unconscious upon the arrival of young the Uzumaki.

"She's fine now. Still a little dizzy from the experience. Anything else on the kid?"

Xavier's façade became slightly somber. "I tried to deepen my connection to see what I could find inside him, but…" the powerful psychic composed himself. "… there was… darkness there. Hate beyond what a normal child should bear."

Logan's voice dropped considerably when he said, "Anything we should be worried about?"

Xavier massaged his temples. "I don't believe so right now… still, we must not allow ourselves to be taken by surprise. We don't know what force brought young Uzumaki here with us and what secondary effects it had before."

"Naruto," commented Logan.

Xavier looked at his first X-Man. "What was that?"

"Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki," continued Logan. "The Japanese put their family names first. Uzumaki is his last name, Naruto is his first."

Xavier nodded in understanding. Aside from Shiro Yoshida – most commonly known as Sunfire – he had no real knowledge of the Japanese. He was not about to question Logan's observations.

"I'll tell Ororo to have food prepared for when he wakes up," Xavier said almost to himself. "Young Naruto will probably be starving after that whole ordeal with Magneto."

Logan grunted. "Don't bother yourself, Chuck. I mean… how much can a kid like him possibly eat?"

* * *

Naruto happily scarfed down yet another plate of food that was given to him, much to the amazement of the beautiful dark-skinned woman looking over him. The blonde didn't pay much attention to her, however. He was simply too busy wolfing down any of the meals that were put his way.

At his side there were already a large pile of empty plates that were once full of several assortments completely alien to the blonde shinobi. So hungry had he been that even the vegetables that were usually avoided with extreme prejudice also found a new home in his once grumbling stomach.

He finished what seemed to be a piece of beef mashed in between two loaves of bread when he noticed that a new figure apparently walked. Immediately, his mind stopped paying attention to the food and focused on his visitors.

The dark-skinned woman – Ororo, she had called herself – was no longer wearing the utterly revealing outfit she had previously been sporting when they met. Instead it just seemed to be more of those strange yet comfortable looking clothes the people in here wore.

The same could be said for the new arrival who, in Naruto's opinion, was just as if not even prettier than Ororo.

She was just a little older than him, Naruto estimated about a year, and she had very long and straight red hair that cascaded along her back, all the way to her hips. The eyes were a sharp green, almost like emeralds. Once again, she was wearing something similar to Ororo, a white shirt, some blue pants, and sandals.

The new arrival's eyes widened when she looked at the pile of plates that had stacked up besides Naruto with disbelief.

The Konoha shinobi watched as the redhead's gaze went from the pile, to Ororo, and finally to him. Once the shock passed however, she started to talk to the white-haired girl in that strange language totally unknown to him. The redhead then looked back at him with a smile and started to giggle.

Naruto had the decency to look sheepish. He knew the reputation behind his voracious appetite that shocked most restaurants and shinobi in Konoha.

The green-eyed girl seemed to try and start a conversation and it was at this moment that Naruto really started to get annoyed at his inability to communicate. What kind of language was this? He'd never even heard any other language in all the nations aside from his own!

"Ehh… Naruto," he finally said pointing at himself.

The girl smiled prettily and then pointed at herself.

"Jean."

Jean… such a strange name, much like the rest he had heard. Ororo, Xavier, Logan.

It was still a nice name though.

The three stared at each other awkwardly until the bald man that had named himself Xavier and the short man called Logan walked it. He breathed a sigh of relieved. Finally, someone that could understand him!

"Morning, brat," said Logan before looking at the large pile of plates. "I see the bottomless pit is not so bottomless after all."

Naruto glared at Logan before eating the last bit out of the last meal. "I was hungry."

"I can see that," responded Logan while looking at the impressive pile of plates.

"I was _really_ hungry."

"Well now that you're finished, I guess it's time to introduce ourselves," he then looked over at the wheel-chair bound man and talked to him.

Logan grunted, Naruto was beginning to see that he was a lot less humorous than when he introduced himself. It seemed almost impossible to see the man smiling or cheerful.

"Very well brat, I'm gonna translate what Chuck over here is saying." Naruto reasoned that this "Chuck" was the bald man that introduced himself as Charles Xavier and so it began, with the wheel-chair bound man saying something to Logan, who would then translate it.

"You are currently in the outskirts of New York City. Do you know what that place is?" asked Logan.

Naruto had never heard of such a place before. Granted, he barely paid attention to Iruka-sensei's classes during his time at the academy, but he was pretty sure that a placed called "New York" had never even been mentioned.

"I've… never heard of that place. How far is it to the Land of Fire? To _Konohagakure no Sato_? That's where I'm from, I'm a shinobi. If you can get into contact with the _Hokage_ then she will probably send someone for me."

Logan looked confused for a moment before relaying the information to Charles Xavier, who also looked momentarily confused, although less visibly so.

"This Konoha… is it in Japan? Do you know anything about a country named Japan?" Logan asked again.

Naruto thought for a moment. "I don't know about any Japan. My country is the Land of Fire, it's leader is the daimyo, but I belong to the village of _Konoha_ , it's a shinobi village and the _Hokage_ is our leader."

Logan translated his words over to the wheel-chair bound man, aside from him, Jean and Ororo were also looking confused. Worry started to seep in. Had they never heard of the Village Hidden in the Leaves? What about shinobi?

Once again Naruto asked himself where exactly he was.

"Look brat, we'll try and find these places you are talking about, but I will tell you right now that we don't know about and _Konoha_ or _Hi no Kumi_. There were daimyo's in Japan… around three-hundred years ago that is… and shinobi? What year did you come out of?"

Naruto was momentarily shocked. How was is that they had never heard of shinobi? The manipulators of chakra and the main military force in the world. Civilians and samurai all knew of them and their enhanced abilities, the names of the _Kages_ and their secretive villages were renown across the many countries.

It was Logan who spoke this time however. "Alright, brat. You've had your say, now listen to us." Naruto's mind returned to the present as he listened to the wild looking man.

"You are in Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters." Naruto had never heard of the place but continued to listen on. "It has been founded by Professor Xavier." The blonde glanced at the bald man. "This place is what you could consider a… haven for people born with certain abilities," Logan then made a fist and three metal claws came from the knuckles. Jean on the other hand placed her palm on her head and concentrated on a dish, which started to float above the ground before she set it down.

Naruto had only one thing to say about the abilities.

"Awesome!" he exclaimed excitedly. Jean probably didn't understand him but smiled in appreciation. Charles Xavier also smiled, along with Storm. Logan remained his gruff self.

"But… why am I here?" asked Naruto with confusion, he didn't truly understand.

"Didn't you here, brat? This place is for people with special talents, just like yours. If you didn't then the Professor wouldn't have detected you. You are a mutant, just like us."

Naruto furrowed his brow. A mutant? He didn't know about that. Sure, not all people could mold their chakra to fight, therefore they couldn't be shinobi. Maybe this school was similar to the Academy, where they managed to train their chakra abilities?

"I have my chakra, but I doubt that is a… how do you say… mutant ability," responded Naruto.

Logan sighed. "Don't you feel anything else? Anything else that you can do? If you didn't have the X-Gene then Cerebro wouldn't have picked you up."

"Cerebro? X-Gene? I don't know what you are talking about, claw man!" responded Naruto exasperatedly.

"Watch yourself there, shorty," warned Logan with a glare.

Naruto crossed his arms. "Look at the pot calling the kettle black."

"You insufferable brat!"

Professor Xavier chose that moment to intervene, calming down the little discussion between the two.

Logan growled but continued. "You ever hear voices in your head? Did you ever push something with your mind? Cerebro… well let's leave that off for now – it picked up your powers and that's why we found you."

Naruto thought back on when he woke up in the city. There were certainly voices, loud voices that were followed by an intense headache. When he put his palm at the flying metal contraption, he was sure it moved thanks to a force.

"I have heard voices in my head, but what does it mean? Am I going insane?"

Logan once again relayed the information to Professor Xavier, who then talked to Jean and Ororo. Both girls left the room and only the three were left.

"You are not going insane… it's just your powers. That's what this place is for, it's a school to help you not hurt yourself or others."

"So, it's like the shinobi Academy? They showed us how to fight as shinobi and to use our chakra as well," reasoned Naruto

Logan looked like he was thinking for a moment before answering. "This place is not some military school. Its purpose is to make you understand yourself and others – to help you fit in with the rest of society."

Naruto looked at them for a moment before Logan sighed and continued with his offer.

"Look brat, here's the deal. We don't know of any _Konoha_ or Land of Fire – hell, I'm pretty sure we don't even know if you're even from this planet." The statement shocked Naruto but before he had time to think, Logan kept on talking.

"What we are offering you, is a place as a student here. Out there you are in danger, not just from others but from yourself. If you cannot control these new things you are experiencing, it can lead to some pretty bad things, understand?"

Naruto didn't want to hear it though. There was just no way he could stay here! He was a shinobi of the Leaf Village! He had friends to go back to! He needed to get Sasuke back to the village just as he had promised Sakura! Just as he had been ordered by Granny Tsunade!

"I can't stay here! I need to go back home!" he exclaimed. "What do you mean not from this planet? Where am I?!"

The Professor then held up his hand in an attempt to pacify him. He did not know why, but he suddenly felt a little calmer at the shocking revelations.

"Do you have anything you need to go back to now? Any parents or anything urgent?"

Naruto looked downcast a little. "No parents, no family… only friends and comrades… and my teachers as well."

"We'll try to find some answers. The Professor has some contacts with several scientists that can tell us what happened, but in the meanwhile we are extending this invitation towards you. Whatever you want to make of it is up to you," stated Logan before he and the Professor walked out the door and closed it behind them, leaving the whiskered blonde to think about what he'd been told.

* * *

Ororo watched as Jean was struggling to lift a three stone blocks consecutively with some difficulty. The young redhead had been improving considerably ever since she started to truly train her mutant powers. Nearby, Scott was also training his optic blasts with his specialized ruby quartz visor.

Of their little group, the white-haired girl was the oldest, though it wasn't saying much. She was still fifteen years of age and still completing her education but her control over her mutant abilities was certainly much stronger than both Jean's and Scott's.

The dark-skinned girl continued to stare as Jean struggled to stack all blocks together, sweat was pouring down the redhead's brow and exhaustion was radiating from her.

"Slow down Jean, you'll give yourself another headache if you overdo it," warned Ororo with a concerned tone.

Jean seemed to take the suggestion to heart, as she let go of the blocks with and took a step back, clutching her head with a grimace.

The telepath over to Ororo's direction and sat down next to her, taking the offered water with a look of gratitude. Still, the weather manipulator could see the telepath grimacing from what seemed to be another headache. On the back of her mind, Ororo noted that they had intensified the moment Naruto had manifested himself.

"So," the voice of Jean interrupted Ororo's thoughts. "What do you think of him?"

The mutant known as Storm did not need to ask who Jean was talking about. Their new arrival was certainly strange, compounded by the fact that he could not speak their English, the international language of the world.

"He's… interesting," Ororo answered, thinking back on the moment she met the bloodied young blonde. "Why do you ask?"

Jean took another sip of water. "Just curious. I mean… there really aren't that many of us around. There's you, the Professor, Logan, Scott, and me. I know there are other mutants out there… but I don't know where."

"He's a little bizarre. He didn't use his mutant powers when we met him, despite the dangerous situation he found himself in." Ororo took a sip of water herself. "I didn't even know his powers at first in fact. He seemed to be trained in other forms of combat – just like Logan but… stranger."

"What are his mutant powers by the way?" asked Jean, who had now composed herself and was talking normally.

Ororo smiled at the redhead. "That's the surprising part. They're quite similar to yours."

The statement cause Jean's eyes to widen in surprise and confusion.

"That's what the Professor told me at least. Like I said, there seems to be other powers he's more proficient at."

"Another psychic…" Jean trailed off in what sounded to be both nervousness and optimism. A weird dichotomy that could only come from a person like Jean Grey.

"What are you talking about?" interrupted another voice. Scott Summers had apparently finished his training and was now joining in their little conversation.

"Our newest member," said Jean.

Scott lips made a grimace. It was hard to make out his full emotion without the sight of his eyes but it was clear that the brown-haired mutant had reservations about the young blonde boy.

"He's not a member," he responded.

"Yet," countered Jean, always the positive member of the entire team.

Ororo decided to support the telepath. "You know what the Professor said, try and make him feel welcome. He'll be a great addition to the X-Men."

Scott sighed but nodded. "I will, but I still have my reservations. I mean… we don't even know where he's from – he can't even speak to us!"

"I do not believe him to be a threat. I looked into him then… he tried to hide it but he was scared, hurt, and alone… just like we all were once," commented Ororo. "We of all people should not judge others for things we cannot understand."

The trio was then interrupted by several footsteps that emerged from the mansion. Ororo turned around to see both Logan and Naruto walking outside and to the outside training area. Gone was the bloodied and torn orange jumpsuit, replaced instead by black colored sportswear that would make it easier to move.

The pair spoke once again in Japanese, a complicated language the dark-skinned mutant could not understand, yet both of them were deep in conversation with it. She wondered what was being said between the two, Ororo doubted she had ever heard Logan be so deep in conversation as in that moment.

It was in that moment that the blonde-haired boy looked at their group and sent them a large smile with a wave of his hand.

Jean smiled and waved back enthusiastically, Ororo also saluted but it was far more restrained, a smile did reach her lips at the sight of the energetic Naruto, Scott gave a small wave before sitting down and staring at both the blonde and Logan as they made their way to the training area.

They could be using the Danger Room, but the Professor wanted to limit that for the moment. Ororo had only been in there a few times herself, it was definitely more intensive than the training she had in the mansion's grounds.

"Poor Naruto, he's going one on one against Logan," commented Jean. Ororo agreed, she remembered the first session with Logan. The man needed to restrain himself sometimes when it came to the intensity of his training regiments.

Scott seemed to perk up again, however and said, "I guess we are about to see what his powers are exactly."

They sat silent as the duo was talking to each other in the foreign language. Ororo believed that they were maybe talking about what kind of skills they had, as Logan revealed his claws. She had never seen the wild mutant being so talkative with someone, it was a shame she couldn't understand anything they were saying.

They finally came to an agreement apparently, as they both distanced themselves from one another cautiously. Naruto and Logan finally took their positions and stood still, waiting for either one of them to make the first move.

In the end it was Naruto that relented, but not in a way that Ororo would have expected at all.

The blonde did a strange sign where he crossed both his fingers and to the shock of everyone, created about five clones of himself following little explosions of smoke. These replicas were indistinguishable from the original, they even took out their own strange blades weapons and launched towards Logan.

Wolverine unleashed his claws and immediately parried all of them with relative ease.

"He can multiply! Is that his mutant power?" wondered Jean as she stared on

' _I thought his mutant powers were telepathy and telekinesis? Was the Professor wrong or does Naruto have even more up his sleeve?'_ thought Ororo as she continued to watch the fight.

It was Wolverine's turn to attack now, he lunged forward and retracted the adamantium claws as to not hurt the new arrival. Still, Ororo knew that even without his claws, Logan was a powerful opponent with his unrelenting physical prowess and adamantium skeleton.

Naruto did not back away from the challenge, however, and charged ahead at the older mutant.

"Is he an idiot, or just insane?" commented Scott from the side. "Or both?"

The white-haired girl did not comment on this, but Scott did have a point. Going up against Logan on a physical level was tantamount to suicide. Wolverine was the most physically impressive person Ororo had ever seen, being able to take punishment that would kill a normal person with relative ease and little wounds.

So, it was a surprise to everyone when Naruto actually started to hold his own against the short, wild mutant.

The blonde was extremely physical adept as well, being able to dodge each and every one of Wolverine's attacks, realizing feats of agility that were inhuman. At one point he even managed to jump over ten feet in the air with ease and dropping down on Logan with a kick that forced the gruff mutant back a couple inches.

It was an impressive display of both their physical abilities.

"There's much more to him than meets the eye," Ororo finally said. To her side, Jean nodded dumbly.

The spar started to get even more intense after that. The spectators noticed that a weird blue energy started to surround Naruto like an aura of strength.

"What is that?" asked Jean.

Nobody answered, too entranced by the sight of Naruto seemingly vanishing from sight only to appear right in front of Wolverine and striking the older man with his fist. The punch was so strong that Logan back a few meters before managing to regain his footing.

"This guy's not normal… he seems to have something more than mutant powers," Scott noted as he continued to watch the fight with an unreadable face.

"Whatever he is… he's strong," stated Jean.

Ororo nodded, she had never seen Logan be pushed this hard before. Granted, she had never been in a true mission before yesterday, but still.

Naruto prepared to launch another fist at Wolverine, but his opponent managed to sidestep just in time so that the punch landed on a tree instead, which cracked halfway at the contact.

But it was not over yet, Logan managed to get one over the blonde and stuck back with his own fist at Naruto. But instead of hitting him, the strange boy turned was seemingly replaced with a log in what seemed to be a substitution of some sort.

Naruto appeared a few meters away, however, along with another clone. Just one this time, but what he did next was even stranger than the feats he managed before.

The blonde's blue eyes suddenly turned red as he held out his hand. The same blue energy Ororo had seen before appeared again but it concentrated on his hand. The clone then began weaving his hands as well around the original's energy until it materialized as a ball. Ororo didn't know what it was, but one thing was for certain.

Whatever it was, she did not want to get hit with _that_.

"That's enough!" rang the voice of Professor Xavier, who had been apparently watching the fight to the ignorance of the other onlookers.

Naruto and Wolverine looked at the Professor and then at each other. The mysterious ball of blue energy dissipated from the whiskered boy's hands and his eyes returned back from blood red to cerulean blue. Both fighters resumed a more relaxed position as they acknowledged each other before walking back to the direction of the spectators.

Naruto and Logan were both offered water as they sat down with the rest of the group. Despite the rigorous spar, Naruto did not seem to be tired in the slightest, and after a while he asked a question to Logan who answered with an annoyed gruff tone before nodding.

The blue-eyed boy then stood up energetically before sprinting over to the mansion. Ororo thought that she would crash into it, but to the amazement of everyone started to run on the walls like it was nothing until he reached the rooftop instead.

' _What else is he capable of?'_ Ororo wondered before turning her attention back to the group.

"That was certainly an interesting display, if I say so myself," the Professor finally said once the blonde seemed out of sight.

"He's definitely more than he looks like, I'll give him that," grunted Logan.

Jean giggled. "What's the matter Logan? Afraid you were going to get roughed up even more?"

Logan snorted with a small glare. "I didn't use my claws and he took me by surprise, he wouldn't be as lucky if I did."

The Professor cleared his voice. "Although that does bring in the fact of his _other_ powers… Logan, what do you think they were?"

"The kid called it 'chakra'… I don't know what that means, but it seems to be an energy of some kind. You're sure it's not a mutation related power."

The Professor looked to be in deep thought. "It's a little strange… it feels like a mutation, but it's less… _erratic,_ than the X-Gene." He closed his eyes in deep concentration. "I can feel it… sense it… but not to the same extent I feel his mutation."

"I was right, by the way," said Logan. "He's definitely part of a military of some sort. He called himself a 'shinobi', a ninja, those reflexes are not normal either. He has some experience down his belt,"

"Military? But he's so young!" exclaimed Jean with worry.

The Professor looked at Jean sadly. "Unfortunately, there are some people that do not share our beliefs on the innocence of youth,"

Storm nodded. In Africa, there were several factions that were not above using children as soldiers in order to get a little more manpower against their enemies. It was forbidden by international law, but it meant little to certain individuals who would put their ambitions beyond a child's life.

"But Professor, what _is_ he exactly?" asked Scott, now sounding curious.

The Professor took a deep breath before looking over at the Scott. "I don't think he's from around here."

"I think that is very much evident," responded Scott.

"You don't understand, not from around here as in not from this planet… this world, whatever you may call it," continued Professor Xavier. "I have researched, and this _Konohagakure_ he talks about does not show up in any place."

It was Jean who answered next. "But Professor, how can that be? I thought mutation only affected those who came from bloodlines of humans – just like my parents!"

"Jean… there are many mysteries surrounding him that mystify us as well. He speaks an outdated dialect of Japanese and he seems to be completely human at first glance, but there's that _'chakra'_ that he uses and his enhanced physical abilities." The Professor looked at all of them with complete seriousness. "I don't think we will be able to find out all about him at once… we must be patient."

"Is he staying?" asked Ororo.

The Professor looked at the sky. "It's his decision in the end… I will not force him to stay with us… but I very much wish for him to stay." A look of sadness spread across his features. "I do not know how – if ever – he will return home… but maybe we can do our best to give him one here, with us."

Ororo suddenly felt a wave of sympathy for Naruto. She could always go wherever she wanted to, nothing aside from friendship and duty bound her to the X-Men. The same could probably not be said for the blue-eyed blonde if he truly came from another world in it's entirety. The white-haired mutant remembered how utterly alone she was those days as a thief in Egypt before the Professor found her.

Ororo decided she would do the best she could for Naruto Uzumaki.

Professor Xavier continued to try and convince them. "There's also the fact that many people and organizations would like to get a little more knowledge of this _'chakra'_ than it would be otherwise ethically possible. I wish to shelter the young boy until he can adapt to the world around us… this is a place of acceptance and learning – human, mutant or alien."

All three students nodded in acceptance.

Later that evening as they sat down for dinner, she watched Naruto with renewed interest. An extra helping of food had been piled before him. It seemed as if the enhanced energy, body and chakra necessitated even more calories than a normal person would need.

Naruto looked at the utensils strangely, probably not knowing their usage immediately. Ororo smiled and scooted over closer to him and demonstrated them.

Naruto smiled before holding the fork between his hands. _"Itadakimasu!"_ he exclaimed and then began to dig in to the food with the same ravenous gusto as before.

"He's thanking you for the food," explained Logan as he also started to eat.

The Professor nodded towards Naruto. "We are going to need to find an instructor for him soon… Logan – "

"Forget it Chuck. I'm no teacher,"

"Very well then. I will try and search for someone tomorrow. It would be for the best if we managed to get rid of this language barrier."

The rest agreed.

"Ororo, Jean." The Professor looked at them. "Naruto does not have a wardrobe yet. Could you take him to the city tomorrow and buy some clothes for him?"

Logan chuckled darkly. "Shopping with two women… I pity the brat."

Jean smiled however and said, "Of course Professor. We'll make sure he's presentable – isn't that right, Ororo?"

Ororo also smiled but was a little nervous inside. This wouldn't be the first time she and Jean went together shopping, they found great joy in buying clothes...

Particularly the more daring ones.

Even so, as she looked at Naruto continuing to eat with a calmer pace upon seeing the rest, Ororo started to smile. It would be nice to introduce him to one of the biggest cities in the world, even if she herself was fonder of nature and silence rather than the noise of New York City. Still, it was the home of her parents, she reminded herself, and her birthplace. Ororo should think nicer of the city that saw her come to this world first.

With a nod, she accepted the offer and continued to eat towards the night, thinking of what would suit Naruto better. Anything would be better than that bright orange jumpsuit.

* * *

Naruto decided that he really disliked those metal carriages once he managed to into one. It was small and way too cramped, the wind that he should be feeling in breezing across his face was missing thanks to the glass. He was not very pleased to say the least.

Although being cramped with two of the prettiest girls he had ever seen was definitely the upside of their little trip.

Jean did not seem to mind the situation, smiling as she talked to the driver. Apparently, people payed these drivers so they might be carried in these carriages for some time. Why anyone would be paying for such an unpleasant experience, Naruto did not know.

Ororo, on the other hand, was definitely uncomfortable, probably even more uncomfortable than he was. It took some of his observation skills, but he managed to see the dark-skinned beauty tense when she sat in the metal carriage, even more when she slammed the door shut with some hesitation.

She definitely did not like these contraptions either.

With some trepidation, Naruto grabbed her hand to show some support. It was the only way he could properly communicate with Ororo since they could not speak their language. Logan had told him yesterday that an instructor would be brought to the school in order to try and teach him the language these people spoke.

Naruto wanted to learn it as fast as possible. Probably the first time in a long while that he truly wanted some education, maybe even – _Kami_ forbid – read a book about it.

Ororo did not flinch away at the physical contact, in fact, she turned her previously lost gaze back at him and smiled softly. Her blue eyes were similar to his, but were clearer, almost like the sky, while his were deeper. At least when he didn't have his Sharingan activated.

The Sharingan

He had finally managed to activate it again in his fight against Logan. The world seemed to change once he did so, even if he never really used it in conjunction with the Rasengan. Everything was clearer, mere perceptible than before. It really was something.

But the mystery still remained. Why exactly did he have the sacred eyes of the Uchiha clan? As far as he knew, he was no true Uchiha. Naruto never knew his parents or where they came from, however. So could it be possible that he was a lost member of that clan? Was he thrown away at birth because of his connection with the Kyūbi?

He would need to find out once he found a way back home.

' _Home.'_

Naruto wondered what exactly was happening back at Konoha. Did his friends believe him dead? Did Sasuke go to Orochimaru? What exactly happened to him anyway? Was the dark-haired avenger also somewhere around this country?

The bald man had offered Naruto a place to stay in the mansion, along with the other students that were currently occupying it. Logan even said that they were on the lookout for new recruits, new "mutants" as they called them.

But Naruto already had a home and staying in such a place even momentarily seemed like a betrayal to Konoha. If he stayed too long in one place without returning to the shinobi force, then would he be considered a missing ninja? A traitor to his nation and headband?

Still, the place Naruto was offered was certainly a lot safer than that of any other. He still remembered the chaos when he arrived with all the people looking out for him. The jinchūriki would rather very much avoid _that_ particular situation from happening again.

The contraptions suddenly stopped, and Ororo paid the man with money similar to what he was used to, but with different engravings and pictures. Naruto then saw the spectacle that was the big city.

It was filled with buildings; even larger than the ones he saw during the night he was transported to this mysterious place. Some of them looked like they were touching the sky, then there were the people. There were thousands upon thousands of them, each going to and fro from one place to another. The ground was filled with shops and restaurants.

Jean and Ororo guided the jinchūriki through the city, with the redhead taking his hand. It would be almost impossible not to lose each other in the giant swathes of humanity that threatened to drown the place with its sheer numbers.

Despite that, Jean managed to lead them to several shops that sold some clothes. Even without the language, they could communicate pretty well with each other with hand gestures, enough to get them through the day at least.

Jean then placed various assortments of clothes on his hands and showed him to a changing room and tried them on. He had to admit, some of these were quite comfortable and pretty durable just like his now ruined orange jumpsuit. Once he came back, Jean took out a plastic card and apparently paid the shop with it because they let them walk straight out with the bags.

Jean then took some money of her own and started to buy some things for herself. With summer season apparently close at hand, the redhead bought some clothes that in Konoha would be considered quite daring unless you were a part of the shinobi force and needed freer outfits.

It was still nothing compared to what Ororo had chosen to wear the night they met, so it was far more modest then that, but that actually got him thinking. If this is how they dress when they are being civilians, how daringly would they dress when they were in action?

It was a question best left to when he saw it.

Jean also tried to get Ororo to try out some new clothes. Naruto thought that white looked great on her, it contrasted perfectly with her darker skin. Jean looked good on anything, almost any color fit her.

Before taking the trip back to the mansion, Jean took them to a large park that was less crowded than the rest of the city. There was a vendor there selling more food Naruto had never seen before. It was triangle shaped had some sauce and cheese on it. Jean bought one for Ororo and another for herself, while giving Naruto two large ones.

They sat on the grass as they looked at the giant city around them. Naruto had to admit that the park certainly brought a little bit of home back but knew that he was far away from Konoha. How far, he did not know yet.

Still, Naruto couldn't help but the feeling of fulfilment that settled throughout the day. For once in his life, he was not given the usual dirty looks he had always received, and although he could not talk to them, Jean and Ororo were already some of the most accepting people he had met in his life.

Logan had told him previously that their kind were also a group that would doubtless be in trouble when they revealed themselves to the rest of humanity. They would be feared and ostracized when such a time came. Naruto could understand the feeling completely.

When they finally arrived at the mansion, Logan and the Professor told him that he would be spending some classes every day in order to learn their language. The private school was not far from the mansion and Naruto could run to it in less than fifteen minutes every day with his advanced speed.

After a few days learning of hitting the books more intensely than he had ever done in his life, Naruto finally managed to start speaking this "English" language that the people apparently spoke. He had to admit, it was a little easier than his native language when it came down to it, pretty simple actually.

Little by little, he started to communicate with the people in the school.

Jean was always the positive member of the group, not as hyperactive as Naruto himself but whenever she talked to anyone it was with a smile and a welcoming tone. She did get angry at times though, and when she did, it was very passionate.

Passionate was a word that described Jean Grey extremely well.

Ororo was a little more reserved, but her kindness could also come whenever it was needed. Naruto thought that she needed to smile more, however. She looked was extremely beautiful when she smiled.

Her powers were apparently to control the weather, which is why she chose the name "Storm". Naruto had looked on in awe as she summoned rain from a clear sky like it was nothing.

The last one of the students was also a year older than him, just like Jean. Scott Summers was a little more reserved. He rarely smiled and chose to train rather than to talk with him. The brown-haired boy apparently could shoot blasts out of his eyes, which is why he always wore those red tinted glasses. In a way, Scott reminded Naruto of Sasuke in some ways.

But in his time living in this place, Naruto had not just met people but he had also started to familiarize himself with the world around him.

The technology was different a lot more advanced than what they had in _Konoha_. Sure, they had some of the electricity and televisions, but not in such abundance. Some of the smaller fishing villages and towns didn't even have power at all, and most inventions were for the express purpose of shinobi.

Things like television were used for entertainment rather than communication or videos on training. Another place technology made its mark was the kitchen, where most of it ran on electricity. In _Konoha_ , most people and restaurants relied on traditional cooking methods.

Transport was a lot easier, if a little cramped. The steam powered locomotives from back in the elemental nations were replaced with faster ones that ran on electricity. There were even these things called planes that could fly you from one place to the next very quickly.

And the food! Naruto had never seen such variety before. There were still the dishes he was used to back home with ramen (though none of them would ever match Old Man Ichiraku's), rice, and others. Those dishes came from a place called "Japan" he'd heard so much about. But there were many other cultures that brought their own techniques.

Logan had explained that New York was a city of mostly immigrants, each bringing their own style into the great country that they were in: The United States of America.

It was two weeks into his arrival that Professor Xavier had decided to visit him once again in his room.

"I see you have settled well… do you mind if I come in?" he had asked while standing alone in the doorway.

Naruto nodded, finally understanding what the Professor was saying.

"How are you Naruto? Are you feeling well?" continued Xavier with a genuine tone of concern.

Naruto thought for a moment before carefully choosing his words. "Feel good…" he burrowed his brow in annoyance. "… but confused. Don't know where… home is."

Xavier smiled and lifted his voice. "Well Naruto, there is always a home for you here if you wish to stay. I know it hasn't been easy for you… but I really hope you can consider this a place where you can be safe. The doors are always open in this school."

Naruto looked over the window. Where was home? Where were his friends? Would he ever go back to Konoha?

He did not know the answer to these questions, but so far this was the only placed that gave him shelter and care. It also helped that the Professor was trying to get into contact with scientists and researchers to find out a way back home, however faint the hope may be.

With a heavy heart, Naruto finally made his decision.

"I will… join… Xavier-sensei,"

Professor Xavier smiled. "Good, I will look forward to teaching whatever I can. We will start training with your powers as well when the time comes. For now, I need to get into contact with the government so we can give you a citizenship and an identity. I will also enroll you so you can go to the same classes Jean and Scott attend."

"Classes?" asked Naruto with a hint of dread.

Xavier nodded. "That's right, you are going to school."

The scream of pure agony could be heard for several miles like hurricane of pain.

 **AN: Song recommendation for the chapter is once again from Iron Maiden. "Stranger in a Strange Land" from their superb 1986 album "Somewhere in Time".**

 **So I know this update took a long time. I have little time to write my fics and this is my secondary project (at least at the moment) most of my efforts go to "A Godfather's Promise". Besides, I am still treading forwards carefully so I can put my plans into action, and I'm currently re-reading many classic storylines in order to get in the mood.**

 **One character I hope is coming soon since Naruto is still not very strong is probably my favorite Marvel character: Daredevil. He won't show up for a couple more chapters however, until Naruto decides to fight crime for himself once he becomes a little more independent in terms of the advanced technology and the language.**

 **The language thing is finally getting done however. By next chapter he will probably be talking English like normal. Maybe it's unrealistic, but hey, it's fanfiction so it can work.**

 **I invite all of you to my Discord server if you want to contact me more efficiently. I'm trying to get a little community going for several topics. Link is in my profile.**

 **Don't forget to review!**

 **Until next time.**

 **The Metal Sage.**


	3. Nova Era

**Naruto and Marvel belong to Masashi Kishimoto and Disney respectively.**

 **AN: Chapter 3 is here.**

 **I've decided to write another chapter before I continue with "A Godfather's Promise", my main priority.**

 **Chapter song is "Nova Era" by Brazilian band Angra from their 2001 album "Rebirth". Probably the second most popular metal band from Brazil after Sepultura, and in my opinion, they're much better.**

 **This chapter is still more building, which is part of the reason it took much longer to complete. I want to get everything placed rightly so it all builds from here on out.**

"Dialogue"

' _Thoughts'_

" _Foreign languages"_

" _ **Jutsu/Technique"**_

 **Chapter III: Nova Era**

"That's right… you need to stay calm while you do it – remember to concentrate!"

Naruto could barely hear the voice of Jean as he tried to concentrate on the small concrete slab in front of him, carefully lifting it and trying to place it on the pile with the rest of the other ones that were haphazardly put one over the other. The activity would be considered easy by many, especially for someone as physically adept as Naruto, if he was doing it with his hands, but he was not.

He was moving the stone slab with his mind.

"You've almost got it! Just keep it up a little more!" Jean said encouragingly.

Naruto finally managed to put the gray slab on top of the others and sighed, finally letting go of concentration. Before he knew it, he felt a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"You did great, Naruto!" exclaimed Jean as she looked over at the pile, it looked messily put together in comparison with her neatly stacked one. It should also be said the redhead managed to complete hers a long time ago.

It was also taller.

"Thank you, Jean… let's try some more!" he said with determination as he concentrated once again on another slab.

"Err… I think you should let it go Naruto – you'll get a headache!" Jean said with concern evident in her voice.

Naruto grinned and then looked over to a large open area. "Then let's get physical!"

Jean blushed a little for some reason before putting her hands up. "That's more your thing… besides, don't you have your big test tomorrow?"

"Wh-what does that have to do with anything, Jean?" Naruto asked with some nervousness, but Jean only gave him a disapproving stare.

"If you don't pass your exam tomorrow, then you're not getting into high-school. You'll turn fourteen in a few months, won't you? If you pass you'll be just a year under us. If you fail you'll have to try again next year!" warned the redhead.

Naruto sighed. "Alright… I guess I'll go ahead and hit the books," he said with a miserably tone

Jean smiled at him. "I don't want your potential to slow down. You have a lot of it, Naruto. I believe you can pass."

"Anything for you, Jean."

They both started to make their way back to the mansion, the imposing hotness of the sun marking the beginnings of summer and the end of the school season.

Naruto had taken specialized classes very similar to the ones in Konoha. Jean and Ororo had made sure that he studied hard in order to catch up to the average American citizen, finalizing in what would be a test in order to enter as a freshman in the nearby Bayville High School.

"You're doing really well by the way," said Jean, interrupting Naruto's thoughts.

Naruto looked at the smiling redhead with appreciation. "I've never really been good at school stuff Jean. I've always been a little… well, a little dumb."

Jean laughed while she shook her head. "I'm not talking about that, silly. I'm talking about your powers… although I don't think you're dumb, just… unmotivated."

"I don't know about my powers – I mean," Naruto said as he looked at both their piles, "I'm still miles behind you."

Jean gave him an assuring look before saying, "I've also had my powers for three years." She looked back at the pile of slabs as well. "You've done in three months what I did in a year, if that doesn't make your talented, then I don't know what does."

Naruto was about to speak again but Jean beat him to it first. "As for school, you're also learning at an impressive rate. Most people I know wouldn't have learned as fast as you – with a language barrier at that! Just… study hard and you'll do great tomorrow. Telepaths are supposed to be smart you know"

The blue-eyed shinobi sighed before looking at her. "Are you sure I am? The Xavier-sensei could be wrong you know. Sure, I heard voices when I first came here, but not since."

"Cerebro was right about your telekinetic abilities, wasn't it?" Sometimes it takes time to manifest," said Jean before giving him a reassuring look. "I'm sure you will get in touch with them soon… and when you do, I'll be there to help you with them."

The blonde jinchūriki smiled at the green-eyed girl. Nobody had ever complimented him like that before. Even Iruka's compliments came with a healthy tone of criticism (for his own good, of course) but having someone like Jean to believe in him the way she did made wonderful things for his confidence.

"I will try my best tomorrow Jean-chan. I'll study all night if I have to!" he said before running over to the mansion... across a small lake and started to walk above it. His chakra control was getting back to normal now, but it was still a little off compared to what it'd been before, a few more weeks and he'd be back to normal.

Naruto heard Jean starting to walk to the lake as well, but did not take a step

Jean started to fly.

It was something she had been experimenting with for the past few weeks, using her telekinetic abilities to manipulate the gravity around herself, thus achieving flight, an ability many people dreamed of yet could only accomplish.

"You're going to have to teach me that sometime," said Naruto as he continued to walk.

"Study," Jean said sternly.

"I know, I know."

The mansion started to get even closer as they almost crossed the entire lake when Jean started to wobble slightly, letting out a small yelp as she lost control over her flight. Naruto was there on a heartbeat and caught her, taking the weight easily with the help of his chakra enhanced body.

"Ughhh!" complained Jean. "Give me a few more weeks and I'll master it completely… thank you, by the way."

"No problem." Naruto let her down as soon as they reached the shore and continued to make their way back to the mansion.

"Hey," said Jean, drawing Naruto's attention once more. "Weren't you and the Professor going to that brilliant scientist soon?"

Naruto snorted. "No. Apparently he decided he wants to go to space as soon as possible with some project he's completing."

"Oh," said Jean dryly. "Sorry Naruto… I'm sure you'll get your answers soon."

Naruto hummed in agreement but any cheer was gone from it. It had been three months since he had accepted the Professor's invitation to stay over with what he called the X-Men, a team of mutants he was hoping to form in order to reveal mutantkind to the world in a positive light, and for humanity to try their best to see that _homo superior_ and _homo sapiens_ could coexist together peacefully.

Naruto could identify, after all, he himself had been born with something he never asked for. Still, the jinchūriki had never mustered the courage to tell them about his tenant. A hidden part of Naruto did not want to get rejected by them.

Even if they were all rejects themselves.

"Well, Jean. I'm going to –"

"Study," she said with a no-nonsense tone.

"But –"

"Study." There was a tone of absolute finality.

"Ah… fine… you win," Naruto said in a dejected tone before walking over to his room and shutting the door in resignation.

The spiky-haired blonde had spent some time decorating his new abode well. He had to admit to it being better than his apartment back at the village. Pictures now adorned the room, showing Naruto's budding friendships with the X-Men, Jean and Ororo were mostly prominent in these but there were some with the Professor and even Scott.

Naruto's bed was also far more comfortable than his old one, and the green paint on the walls was maintained much better. The one decorations he had been adamant in recreating was the symbol of _Konoha_ displayed in a banner atop the bed.

Sighing, he plopped down on his desk and looked over at the small mountain of textbooks that he was almost expected to memorize for tomorrow. They included subjects from mathematics, to biology, chemistry, and physics, along with English literature, history, and civics.

Having to learn such a different version of events and the consequences that birthed the politics of the nation he was soon to be citizen of. It didn't mean that this world's history was stale by any word of the imagination, only that it was incredibly vast and confusing at times.

The jinchūriki groaned before picking the book on math and opening it.

To be fair, Naruto _had_ been getting better when it came to education that he had been at the Academy. Jean hadn't been kidding when she said that the blonde was getting a lot better every day.

It was still too much, far too much for a hyperactive shinobi who wanted nothing more than to continue training his powers. It was also too much for a normal person, since Naruto's been having to learn the new subjects all the time, along with things he didn't even know as humanly possible back in village.

"Argh! This is hopeless!" complained Naruto while slumping down on his chair before crossing his fingers and molding some chakra. "Need some energy."

A clone appeared besides him. "See what you raid from the fridge," Naruto ordered the perfect replica of himself.

"Gotcha, boss!"

Naruto would have gone himself like he usually did but the amount of work that needed to be done by tomorrow was staggering, thus he took the easy way out and made the clone do it instead.

But this decision lead to a mass discovery that Naruto never bothered to try out.

"Alright then… sine, cosine, cosecant…" he started to trail off until the door opened, revealing the clone who was bringing back a giant sandwich. The clone put the meal down on the desk and promptly dispelled.

That's when Naruto felt it, the feeling of memories flooding back to him clearly. In just a few moments he remembered going down to the kitchen and trying to prepare the sandwich. Ororo had walked in and after looking at him, helped to create the meal. Then the jinchūriki remembered walking back to his room and setting it down.

"What the hell?!" Naruto exclaimed as he seemingly absorbed all of his clone's memories. "What was that?!"

Confused, he summoned another clone again, watching as the poof of smoke once again revealed the perfect replica of the blonde shinobi.

"Go outside the mansion, then dispel yourself," ordered Naruto, watching as the clone nodded and jumped out the window and made ran towards the gate.

Naruto went back to the desk and waited impatiently until he finally felt it again. The clone's memories were quickly added to his own, as if they had been the very exact person. How had he never noticed such a thing before? Had nobody deigned it important to inform him of such a valuable feature of the Shadow Clone jutsu?

"This is amazing!" said Naruto, thinking about the various possibilities that such an amazing discovery.

The excited blonde then looked at the big pile of books and notes he needed to memorize for tomorrow and got an idea.

A terrible, wonderful idea.

* * *

"I cannot believe it," came the surprised voice of Logan as he looked over at Naruto's results.

Naruto grinned smugly. "Believe it! There's a new genius in the house."

"There must be something wrong here," continued Logan, at the side was Scott Summers seemed to agree.

"Certified genius! Kneel before my towering intellect, dum dums."

"There's just no way you managed to get near perfect scores when you were still struggling with English just a month ago," said Scott. "Did you cheat? You could get into big trouble for that."

Naruto frowned at the bespectacled boy. "I didn't cheat! How could I have done it, exactly?"

The Professor decided to intervene before there were any further discussions. "In any case, congratulations are in order, Naruto."

Jean agreed with a smile. "You did great, Naruto! I'm so proud of you!"

Naruto smiled at the redhead. Jean always informed him of the importance of education in this world. It was not like the shinobi system where you could barely graduate and then go on to become largely successful just as a shinobi. In this world, you could go on to further education through high school, and then choose a profession by going to college.

Jean Grey was constantly adamant of going to college one day, hence her extreme focus on studying and getting the best grades.

"Good job Naruto," said Ororo with a rare smile. "With these grades, you won't need to worry about getting into Bayville. Just keep up your grades and you could go to a very good college."

"We should celebrate!" Jean suggested enthusiastically.

"Got things to do," said Logan before walking out of the room.

Professor Xavier looked at Naruto with a regretful look. "I'm sorry as well but I must keep on the lookout for new mutants. I must do my best to keep them hidden from the world." Then he led his chair outside as well.

Scott simply walked out with the words "Got to train."

Only Naruto, Jean, and Ororo remained in the room in the end. The redheaded telepath looked just a little bit angry as the door closed

"Ugh – why do I even bother?" she said before looking at Ororo. "Can I count on you then, Ororo?"

Ororo smiled at the pair once again. "Of course, I will."

"Ehh… can we do it tomorrow?" said Naruto, interrupting both of them. "I've been awake the past two days."

It was true, he hadn't slept in quite some time and the energy that Naruto usually had in droves was sapping quickly now that he had delivered the great news to the rest of the mansion. Tiredness started to seep into him, slowly but surely.

"Oh… sorry, Naruto." To her credit, Jean looked sheepish. "I guess I was making plans without thinking about you – sorry! Let's celebrate tomorrow then."

Naruto nodded with a smile and promptly started to drag himself to his room upstairs. It was strange, the blonde had never felt this completely exhausted before without going through extreme physical strain, such as the training he did back on Wave or when he rode Gamabunta during the entire day.

The strain seemed to be more mental than anything. The jinchūriki's head was pounding and his eyes were bleary until he finally plopped down on the comfortable bed to try and hibernate the exhaustion away.

He was instead met with the sight of a sewer… a dark and extremely familiar sewer.

So familiar that Naruto did not need to walk too far before he was met with what he was dreading to see – immense metal bars that may seemed to go on for at least a hundred meters guarded what at first seemed to be darkness.

At least until a pair of huge, angry red eyes appeared from the empty blackness and the body of the giant nine-tailed fox soon followed.

Naruto waited for the Kyūbi to once again try and kill him like their first encounter. Activating his Sharingan, he managed to step back quickly in order to avoid the massive claws that threatened to cut him in half.

"You… spawn of Madara!" snarled Kyūbi. "You dare come before me with those wretched eyes?!"

"Madara?" Naruto asked, confused. "Who the hell is this Madara, furball?" He remembered the name from several of Iruka's classes he barely paid attention to but forgot who exactly that person was.

"To think that I would be stuck with you!" roared Kyūbi, seemingly ignoring his question. "Not only have I felt Hashirama's detestable chakra in you and Kushina, but now you also dare to show that bastard's putrid eyes as well!"

Hashirama. That was a name Naruto _did_ know about. Even a knucklehead like him remembered the name of the legendary _Shodaime Hokage,_ Senju Hashirama, the most powerful of them all. But who was this Kushina? _That_ was a name the jinchūriki was certain he had never even heard in classes or in any conversation.

"What are you talking about, you damn fox?!" yelled Naruto. "Madara, Kushina. Who are these people?! And what do you mean about Hashirama's chakra?!"

"You've really done it now, you damn brat!" Kyūbi continued to roar. "I thought you couldn't us into more trouble than before but look at us now! Galaxies away from home and no way back! I've met some imbeciles in my time – but _you_! You are quite something else, you bloody Uchiha!"

"Uchiha?!" Naruto yelled indignantly. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto! _U – zu – ma – ki_!"

"Not with those damned eyes, you're not!" countered the nine-tailed fox.

"It doesn't mean I'm an Uchiha!" replied Naruto, getting increasingly annoyed at the angrier than usual Bijū.

"Shut it, brat!" growled Kyūbi. "I don't want to hear anything from a descendant of Uchiha Madara!"

"You shut it, fuzzball!"

"Enough!" came a commanding voice that appeared to drown even the mighty tailed beast.

Naruto started to look over for the source of the interruption, seeing absolutely nothing in the darkness that surrounded them at first.

Then, two bright lights started to appear. They were a deep purple in color and seemed to be getting clearer, more pronounced, until concentric rings started to form around the orbs. Looking at them more closely as time went by, Naruto realized that what he was seeing was a pair of really weird eyes.

" _Still too young, far younger than I was when I started to fight."_

The voice was even louder for Naruto, yet it wasn't because he was hearing it with his ears. He was hearing it with his mind.

" _I see,"_ continued the voice in Naruto's head, _"so you do have the same gifts I had in your age."_

" _Gifts?"_ asked Naruto through his mind.

" _Yes… gifts,"_ the voice said. _"The people that took you in call it mutation. Genetics are quite the foundry of mysteries, even to such meticulously scientifically oriented population such as the one you currently inhabit. It seems that even the streams of time have not been sufficient to adequately resolve the myriad of quandaries regarding our ancestors."_

" _What?!"_ asked Naruto in confusion. _"Speak normally!"_

" _Dialectics is another consequence of the interminable flow of the ages. My apologies if my discernible verbiage seems ambiguous to your comprehension, but it is the meaning of the words that I hope to instill into you, young Naruto."_

" _Cut your speech down, old man!"_ Naruto said in exasperation. _"Who are you and what do you want? Is my mind some sort of meeting place for weirdos?!"_

" _I see you have not been properly educated as to my identity. I was under the presumptuous impression that your world would still remember the iconic appearance of my eyes,"_ the voice said with only a tad hint of annoyance.

Naruto calmed down slightly as he tried to quickly identify the two eyes that were seemingly floating in front of him. The blonde quickly remembered the fateful day that he travelled across space and arrived on planet Earth. The pair of purple, ringed eyes were the same as the ones the jinchūriki had seen then.

" _You… you were there that time? Who are you?"_ Naruto asked.

" _Not yet, young Naruto. You have been training your body well, but further communication would necessitate the conditioning of your mind."_

Naruto looked annoyed. " _Is that your way of saying I'm stupid?"_

" _Mayhaps…"_ said the voice. " _I will reveal myself to you again when you're appropriately qualified for further mental correspondence. Train with the man you call Xavier, and with the redheaded female you seem to have affection for. Now… rest well, my young descendant."_

" _Affection? Jean? Descen – what!"_ But Naruto knew nothing more of the ancient and commanding voice.

He did start to hear another voice though. "Naruto? Naruto? Wake up, Naruto!"

"Huh… what… what? I'm awake. I'm awake," the blonde murmured as the fogginess on his vision began to clear in order to reveal Jean Grey, standing over his bed, concern written all over her features.

The redhead had seemingly gotten up in the night and given her heavy, had more than likely made a beeline over to Naruto's bedroom in order to see what had disturbed her sleep. However, even in this state, her emerald eyes shined with worry and the vibrant red hair looked as soft as it had ever been.

Did he ever mention how pretty Jean was? Because Jean was really pretty.

"I'm alright… just… I had a really confusing dream." He took a sitting position on the bed.

Jean looked unconvinced however. "Naruto… I think you just had a psychic communication, a very strong one from the looks of it. It was so strong that it woke me from my sleep." Her voice grew more concerned when she said, "And if it woke me from my sleep, I think the Professor will want to have a talk with you tomorrow."

Naruto sighed. "I was getting worried that the Professor might be correct," he said while looking at Jean. "So… I really am like the two of you."

Jean giggled. "Aww… c'mon, it… isn't too bad," she said jokingly before adopting a more serious tone. "If… if you have any problems with it," she looked at him intently, "I'll be there to help you, Naruto."

Naruto briefly remembered what the voice in the dream had said about the Professor and Jean. It was true. This particular skill was not something that he would develop easily without guidance, and it could lead to him harming others. There was no other choice, he would need to go towards the Professor for help with his powers.

"Anyways," Jean interrupted. "Don't worry about it too much. Remember, tomorrow is your celebration day! I'm sure we can delay your training for a bit."

Naruto smiled slightly. "Very well… and Jean?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you…"

The redhead smiled at him, the action seemed to radiate across the darkened room. "You're welcome, Naruto. Good night!"

Naruto's heart seemed to thump a little faster as she started to close the door, never breaking eye contact with the redhead.

"Good night."

* * *

Every day it seemed that it was getting easier to control the clones and the newfound ability Naruto had discovered nearly by mistake. Even now as Ororo managed to dispel one replica of himself after another, the blonde managed to see things, observations, movements, _flaws_ in the dark-skinned woman's movements.

The ability to learn small movements was enhanced even more by the eyes that Naruto had gained when he arrived – the Sharingan. Just like when he battled against Sasuke, the blonde's eyesight was clearer than any other time he had ever experienced. Almost every small movement that Ororo made could be closely calculated by the blonde.

' _Very well then, she seems to be concentrated on that little batch of them over there. Makes it easier for me to sneak up behind her.'_

Before he could go on with his plans, Ororo stopped throwing lightning in order to concentrate fully. She shut her bright white eyes and the world seemed to go still as rays of thunder raged across the field, destroying all his clones.

"Damn!"

Ororo smiled. "Don't let overconfidence be your downfall. I have more power than you think."

Naruto chuckled. "I can see that. I doubt you have reached the limits that your powers can accomplish."

"I will say the same about you," responded Ororo.

"And here I thought you two would be getting ready," interrupted a disapproving voice.

Naruto turned around to see an annoyed Jean walking over to them. "I thought we agreed to celebrate today, Naruto?" she continued.

Said blonde had the decency to look sheepish. "Sorry Jean, Ororo here offered to help me train for a bit. I thought you would want a little bit more sleeping time after finals week."

"I'm not lazy! And _you_ were the one who was tired!"

Naruto raised his hands in a pacifying manner. "I didn't mean anything by it!"

Jean huffed. "Scott still isn't coming with us, so I it will be only the three of us."

"I will try and make my presence as pleasurable as possible," assured Ororo.

"I know you will… and you too Naruto. Now – you two better get cleaned up, I'll wait for you."

Naruto and Ororo promptly left the training grounds in order to get changed for another day at the giant city. The blonde opted for a simple orange colored shirt and jeans. The white-haired girl, however, dressed a little more freely, with an almost plunging neckline.

' _I wonder why she then chooses for her outfit to be more revealing?'_

They once again decided to take the taxi, being that they did not have anyone that could drive them over to the subway station. Jean was looking forward to starting driving lessons next year, and Ororo had mentioned that she personally did not like vehicles.

Jean mentioned that he should be the one in the front seat this time. "Maybe that way you will like cars a little better," she had said before lowering her voice and whispering, "I already lost that battle with Ororo."

The slight yet visible panic as Ororo sat down in the cab once again confirmed that she was not very comfortable with closed spaces. It was an observation that Naruto had seen about her yet had not dared to pry.

Interacting with Jean during the past months had given him a little bit of tact that he didn't have before.

"So, Naruto," said Jean as she took her spot in next Ororo. "Where do you want to eat now?"

Naruto mulled over the question. If this had been Konoha, then the answer would have obviously been ramen – the food that the gods had deigned to bestow upon mankind – but New York City boasted a wide selection of cuisines that Naruto was not yet familiar with.

"Hmm… I don't know," said Naruto. "What do you girls want?"

"I'll be satisfied with anything you wish," responded Ororo calmly.

"Well," said Jean. "It is our celebration so I heard of a little Italian bistro that's supposedly pretty good. Might have to show up to get a reservation first though."

"Alright!" said Naruto. Food from Italy was especially delicious, he had found out.

He took a brief look at both Ororo and Jean. It had been a very different experience from Konoha, being friends with both girls. Back in the village, the closest thing Naruto had that resembled a female friend was Sakura, and the pinkette did not treat him as nice as the two young mutants.

"By the way – sorry to bring this up now – but since we are going to town, I decided to meet an acquaintance as well," said Jean.

"You invited friends from Bayville?" asked Naruto.

"Err – I don't know if I would call her friend. She's recently entered college and I've been meaning to ask her about her career and the school she goes to."

"It will be nice to meet new people," said Ororo.

"She's really bright. Top marks and all, she skipped a whole year in high school to qualify."

"What's her name?" asked Naruto, admittedly a little curious about meeting what seemed to be an older woman.

"Storm." Naruto and Ororo looked over at Jean in confusion. "Susan Storm," Jean corrected. "Her name's Susan Storm."

The cab stopped over at the outskirts of the city, where the subway system started. Being that New York was huge, it would be far less of a hassle – and less expensive – to instead use the railways to move from several points in the city in rapid succession.

The city itself was packed as always, and Naruto was already familiar enough with it that he knew this was a relatively calm period of the day. During rush hour, even the sidewalks were completely packed to its limits.

"It would be far easier if we could just go there with our powers," grumbled Naruto, drawing a disapproving look from Jean.

"You know we cannot," Jean reprimanded. "Not until we're ready, at least."

"I know… but still…"

"Let's go." Jean looked over to her cellphone. "Susan's telling me that she's in Central Park. I say we get our reservations and then go pick her up."

The bistro that Jean talked about was indeed full – as everything was in the big city – their table was reserved, but they would have to wait for an hour until their table was ready. Smelling the trails of Italian food that wafted from the kitchen, Naruto's stomach was already grumbling in anticipation.

Jean accepted for the rest of them and they promptly left the restaurant in Little Italy and headed towards the large park that was situated in the middle of Manhattan. It was less crowded than before, thankfully and Naruto could appreciate the visage of trees far better than the last time Jean and Ororo had taken him.

"You always seem happy when you're around trees," commented Ororo.

"They… almost remind me of home." The trees he had seen were nothing compared to the size of those in the vast forests of the _Hi no Kuni,_ but they indeed seemed to be a reminder.

Naruto didn't even realize until that moment how much he missed the _trees_.

"I do have my own appreciation for nature," said Ororo. "You never told me that you had a little fascination with it."

"It's one of my hobbies. I had a few plants back at home. The old man Hokage and Iruka-sensei gave them to me in order to try and instill some sense of responsibility and patience." Naruto briefly remembered the Third Hokage and his Academy sensei with some sadness. "I think the Hokage was expecting something else though… one time he asked me if I could _feel_ the trees… it was strange… but recently I've been actually feeling them, somehow."

The white-haired girl smiled at him. "I'll call you over when I'm in need of an assistant for gardening. Perhaps it will offer a distraction that doesn't sparring."

"You're on!"

"There she is!" interrupted Jean, her gaze pointing over a young blonde woman. She looking annoyed while she spoke into her cellphone.

As they made their way over to the Susan, her voice became clearer.

"Don't you dare, Johnny!" she exclaimed at the phone. "You will leave that car in the garage or I swear to god…" she let the threat hang in the air as she looked over to them. "I have to go now. If anything happens while I'm gone – I will know about it!" She ended the call.

"Sorry for intruding, Ms. Storm," Jean said diplomatically. "Jean Grey. and these are Ororo Munroe and Naruto Uzumaki."

"I'm the one whose sorry," Susan responded. "It's my little brother. I imagine you've seen Johnny over at class?"

Both girls nodded. "I believe he tried to ask me out on a date a month ago," said Ororo with a slightly annoyed voice.

"That Johnny…"

"It was of little importance. I just told him I was not interested at the moment. I think his ego was more harmed than anything."

"Right..." Susan then looked over at Naruto. "Hey! You're the one that got that high score, aren't you?"

"Guilty as charged!" Naruto said proudly. The jinchūriki never thought that he would ever be congratulated because of his academic achievements, but this was a strange world he had landed on.

"You have a great future ahead of you!" continued Susan. "What area are you most interested in? Physics? Medicine? Or maybe you're more into engineering?"

"Uhh…" Naruto tried to respond.

"Oh, sorry! You're only starting high school next semester. I guess you'll figure it out in time."

Naruto nodded in affirmation but inside of him, thoughts were far away from any career that Earth might offer.

' _Hokage… I will become Hokage. That's what I have always wanted, isn't it?'_

Here was Naruto – in another world entirely – apparently creating a new life with new friends, while Konoha was being left behind. Returning to his village should be his main priority, and yet he was discussing the possibilities of being some scientist or doctor with three of the most beautiful girls the shinobi had ever seen.

' _I can't stay here… and the closer I get to them, the harder it will be when I have to return home.'_

The appeal of living here was immediately noticeable. Gone were the stares of disdain, there was not constant threat of the Akatsuki appearing from nowhere to harvest the Kyūbi's power, he was accomplished academically, he had good friends in the X-Men, and the whole world seemed open to him for countless possibilities.

Yet in the end, he knew, he had to return home to Konoha. The blonde still had unfinished business in there – the promise he had made to Sakura, his best friend joining with a mass murderer, Ero-sennin, Granny Tsunade, all his old friends were there. Not to mention his lifelong dream of becoming Hokage.

His thoughts were interrupted by a sound that were very familiar to him now. Naruto had heard them the first night he had arrived, and eventually started to hear them in several movies and TV shows.

Gunshots.

Several people around them winced, some of them even tried to locate the origin of the cracking sound, but the thing that Naruto found completely fascinating was how they all then started to go on about their business like nothing had happened.

"Sorry about that," said Susan. She was more than likely used to seeing such events.

The same could probably not be said for Jean – who originated from a calmer hamlet in upstate New York – since she indeed looked a little disturbed at the level of crime that could be witnessed in the great city.

Ororo similarly looked uncomfortable, but for other reasons. Her demeanor was one that radiated guilt.

"Why does no-one do anything?" asked Naruto. Crime was virtually nonexistent back in Konoha, you'd have to leave over to the small villages and small countries with no shinobi force in order to find any kind of real crime.

Susan shrugged sadly. "People have just gotten used to it, I guess. Captain Stacy does what he can, but crime is still reaching new heights and there have been no suspects as to who is pulling the strings."

"Has it always been like this?"

"Well… it used to be worse back in the day, especially the thirties, but there was apparently a guy back then that used to fight them. I think he was called 'The Shadow'."

"Nice name," commented Naruto.

'" _The Shadow"… it translates to "Kage" in my language. Quite ironic if he was the Kage watching over the people of New York.'_

"So," interrupted Jean. "How about going to eat now? I'm starving."

The group agreed, starting the walk back to Little Italy to where the bistro was located.

It was still packed, but a table for four was reserved for them as it had been asked previously. The waitress immediately handed them a menu and asked if they wanted drinks.

Ororo asked for risotto with mushrooms while Jean settled for a Carbonara pasta. Susan just went for caprese salad. A small margherita pizza was also ordered for the center.

Naruto went all out of course, ordering a chicken parmesan, a bowl of spaghetti, and some cheese ravioli.

"You… you're really gonna finish all that?" asked Susan.

"I'm a growing boy with a fast metabolism."

"But still…"

"He'll finish it," said Jean mirthfully. "Believe me."

The wait for the food was long, and Jean decided to immediately start grilling Susan for information as to what she was doing.

"Well… I chose to go for biomedical engineering," said Susan. "But I'm also taking some classes on English literature – totally unrelated, I know, but I've always loved to read, and I dreamed of writing something myself in the future."

"That's amazing," said Jean. "So where are you thinking about working now? With your qualifications, you could be an intern in almost every place!"

"I… may have some plans coming up," said Susan, getting a little nervous about sharing any more information. "But maybe it's not worth it in the end…"

"What about Stark Industries?"

Susan look turned sour. "I'm sure many people admire Tony Stark, but I really don't want to work for a company that sells weapons to African and Middle-Eastern warlords, thank you very much."

"I believe you are making the correct decision," said Ororo.

"Stark Industries?" Naruto asked.

"It was started by Howard Stark, a scientist who found out that there was big money to be made by creating technologically advanced weapons and selling them to the government so they could fight in the war." Explained Susan. "But the war ended a long time ago, and they still sell weapons to the government… or whoever it is that's buying."

"So, they don't do anything aside from making weapons?"

"Well that's not entirely accurate. They do have other departments that focus on technology that's available to the public. They're not as well funded as the weapons side though."

"I thought I did see some cellphones with Stark Industries as the logo," said Naruto. "I didn't know they made weapons, though."

"Really?" asked Susan with some surprise. "I thought everyone knew about Stark Industries… especially because of Mr. Stark."

"Who's Mr. Stark?"

"Okay – now you're pulling my leg. You've never heard of Tony Stark? Billionaire extraordinaire and philandering playboy Tony Stark? I thought everyone was aware of him, especially boys your age. God knows Johnny won't stop talking about him."

"I'm… err… new in town." It was a pathetic excuse.

"Where are you from?"

Naruto gave the only answer that he could think of. "Japan."

"That's amazing," said Susan. "Though you don't look very Japanese. You do have a little accent though, now that I think about it."

"What about Oscorp?" asked Jean, giving Naruto some reprieve.

"To be honest, I may be looking to land a position in the government. The man I know is currently working with them. But who knows – maybe someday I will wish to work under a company. But it has to follow a certain moral code for me to pursue a job with them."

"I see."

The food arrived just at that moment, and Naruto did indeed end up eating all of it with relative ease, much to the amazement of Susan.

He did have some self-restraint, however. Gone was the habit of scarfing down every single morsel of food that he used to have before, a few months with Ororo and Jean made sure of that. Instead, Naruto ate calmly and slowly, using the metal utensils that had been alien to him a few months ago.

The food was excellent, as he had suspected it would be. Naruto made sure to never doubt Jean when it came to the many choices of cuisine that the city had to offer.

Jean mostly continued to speak to Susan about career options and opportunities but Naruto paid little attention o it. His eyes seemed fixed to the newspaper title "The Daily Bugle" that was held by a man sitting next to them. Headlines advised against the rising crime rate of the city and warned the readers to be careful during the day.

"Thanks for the meal," said Naruto.

"Agreed, thank you very much for organizing, Jean," said Ororo.

"You're most welcome. I hope it was no bother to you Ms. Storm."

"Please, call my Sue… I'm always open to hear about other students. I hope to hear great things from all of you. Especially you, Naruto," said the blonde girl. "I think you may have a great future ahead of you."

"I'll make sure to not disappoint!"

Yet as Naruto prepared for bed that evening, he couldn't help but think about all that was happening around him.

It was a lot easier back in Konoha. All he had to worry about was to defeat the Akatsuki and become Hokage. It would an objective that was easier said than done but the plan was simple and straightforward. He was a shinobi and all life centered around that fact.

Here… here it seemed that life was tugging at him in all directions. What should he become? An X-Man? A scientist? A businessman? What about the crime he was seeing all around him? Did his powers give him the moral responsibility of intervening? To protect those who had no other protection?

It was all so confusing. When he returned to Konoha, it would all be simpler then.

At least that's what he told himself in order to finally be able to pass the night.

* * *

"That's enough," came the voice of the Professor. Naruto used is as an anchor to leave the utterly confusing state of mind he was lost in. Slowly, Charles Xavier's office came into sight, and the blonde shinobi found himself seating once again in familiar territory.

"What happened? I didn't feel like I did anything," Naruto said in confusion.

The Professor opened his eyes. "We were getting too far into dangerous territory."

Naruto nodded. It was his very first session with the Professor. A month had passes since the blonde had met the strange entity with the ringed eyes and the leader of the X-Men finally had taken an interest in developing his mental prowess, now that there was no doubt about the abilities of his mind.

It was… hard. Harder than anything Naruto had ever done before. The abilities of the mind where something that were almost beyond comprehension at first when the Professor had laid out the theory.

"The mind is more complicated than anything in our being, Naruto. It's completely normal for it to be confusing." That's what the professor had said. Naruto chose to confide in him for the moment.

"Can we try again? I think I may be getting the hang of it."

"Another time, perhaps. The mind needs rest just like any muscle, and it has been strained far too much for your first session."

"Okay… how about if I try it with Jean sometime?"

The Professor gave a stern look. "I would advise against it. Both you and Jean are still young telepaths, and despite her being more advanced than you, I believe that an attempt that goes wrong could seriously harm you."

"But – "

"Believe me, Naruto," warned Xavier. "This ability is something that should not be tread with lightly. It is a power that far defies anything you may ever do. There are little things that are more important than the strength of the mind. Any other feat you do will pale in comparison when you learn to unlock the keys to your subconscious. Until then, you must learn to practice restraint."

"I understand."

"This is not only a rule I have made for you. Jean also has these indications so that she can't harm others or herself," said the Professor. "I will see you in three days for the next session. Make sure to do the exercises I specified and read those texts. I will test you on them later."

"Very well, professor." Naruto stood up to leave the office. "Thank you for helping me."

"My door is always open," said the Professor.

Naruto was about to exit when he heard the professor say one last thing.

"Naruto, I must inform you that Logan is waiting for you in the basement. He has another type of training waiting for you."

Confused, Naruto searched for the elevator that lead him downstairs to the secret area below the mansion. The shinobi had heard that this is where Cerebro was stored.

Logan was waiting for him at the entrance, as he had been told he would.

"Hey there, brat," said the older man.

"Hey there, grandpa."

"Don't push your luck." He started to walk down a hallway, indicating for Naruto to follow. "It's time to intensify your training to the next level. You're gonna be dealing with a lot more down here than in the outside training areas."

"What makes this place so special?"

"Wait and see. You need to get changed to your outfit first," said Logan, handing him some clothes that were similar to the ones he had seen Jean and Scott wear when they were training.

"There's the changing room," ordered Logan.

Naruto thought that the outfit was certainly elaborate. Tough enough to withstand damage and yet flexible enough to allow for easy movement. Once he put them on, he left the room and went back outside to see Logan, who started to walk through the hallway without saying a word.

Eventually, there was large door that was larger than the other ones. The metal frame signified that it would be opened electronically and sure enough, Logan entered a code so that the massive entrance could be revealed.

"Get inside and wait for my instructions."

Naruto did as he was told and entered the room that was soon illuminated, revealing an utterly bizarre open space that was circular in shape, surrounded lights. Other than that, it was completely empty.

"Welcome to the Danger Room, brat," the gruff voice of Logan emanated from some kind of speakers. "I hope for your sake that you're ready for it."

"Doesn't look very dangerous to me, old man," Naruto said sarcastically.

"It will soon enough. Let's start with some dodging… see how many of them you can take."

An odd contraption with a dangerous looking barrel emerged from the center of the room and immediately set its sights on Naruto.

"We'll start with one. I sure hope you don't give up yet."

The cannon started to charge itself with an audible sound, its tip glowing red. The weapon then fired the crimson ray of energy towards him, similar to Scott's own optical blasts.

Naruto dodged it quickly without any trouble, finding it to be slower than some of the kunai and shuriken that had been thrown at him back in the academy.

"Still not seeing the big fuzz around this place, old man. This is pretty easy," Naruto mocked.

"Famous last words, brat."

Immediately, four other cannons emerged from several points in the room, all of them pointing their cannons towards the jinchūriki.

"Alright!" yelled Naruto as he activated his Sharingan. "Now we're talking!"

So passed the rest of the day. Every time Naruto looked like he was breezing through the cannons, Logan added a few more to increase the intensity of the program. By the end of the exercise, there were over twenty cannons shooting at him consecutively. None of them found their mark.

"That's enough, brat. Come over here to the control terminal."

The jinchūriki deactivated the Sharingan. Red eyes returning to their normal blue as he exited the room and went over to where Logan was situated.

Inside, he was surprised to see that Jean, Scott, and Ororo were alongside the older mutant.

"You performed most admirably, Naruto," said Ororo with a pretty smile. "I don't think even Logan has such an athletic ability."

Logan snorted. "It'll take much more than that to hit me."

"No time for that!" came the unusually grave voice of Jean.

The redhead walked over to him, shoving a newspaper into his hands. "Read this!"

Naruto looked over at the copy of the Daily Bugle, trying to see what Jean was indicating. As always, the pages seemed to be propagating fear about the rising crime rates, but such an occurrence was almost normal by this point.

"I don't see anything, Jean."

"Fifth page," she commanded.

Naruto turned the page in order to see the headline.

" _ **Rogue Spacecraft Launches from California Airfield!"**_

Naruto skimmed over the article until a name punched him immediately. Reed Richards.

"So he did go to space after all," said Logan. "I didn't think he would go about it illegally though. God knows how many accidents can happen over there."

"Not that! Read the end of the page!" urged Jean.

The shinobi read the last few paragraphs, detailing how Reed Richards had not been alone in his quest to space. Indeed, the article talked about how a military friend of Dr. Richards, Benjamin Grimm had accompanied him to space.

But that was not all the article had to offer. Indeed, within the last paragraphs, two more names were revealed that Naruto knew very well. They were siblings, barely out of their teens and had accompanied Dr. Richards for some reason or another unknown the author.

Susan and Jonathan Storm.

It had been a very long time since the Sage of the Six Paths – Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo – had spoken to another individual. Least of all to his own descendant and his own… creation. Despite the reality, the Rinnegan bearer almost thought of Kurama as his own child, one of the many he fathered when he was still flesh and bone.

"It has been quite a protracted amount of years since I last managed to establish a verbal discourse with you, Kurama."

The orange nine-tailed fox had grown considerably since their last meeting. Even after his creation, Kurama and his fellow tailed beasts were extremely sizable. Now – millennia after they were given birth – the strongest of the Bijū towered above even mountains.

Still, Kurama seemed quite alarmed at the presence of Hagoromo, hairs stiffening as he opened his eyes and looked at the new figure that appeared before the giant bars that imprisoned him.

"Old man… so it was you," grumbled Kurama.

"It is, you have grown considerably."

"And you haven't changed at all."

"Neither have you, Kurama," said the Sage. "Not your demeanor at least."

Hagoromo allowed himself a small smile at seeing the mean mannered fox. The most difficult of the nine, ironic that Kurama would be sealed within the boy that was turning out to be so much like him, the last full descendant of the Ōtsutsuki bloodline.

"What are you doing here old man? Will you release me from this prison at last?"

The wizened Sage looked at Kurama seriously. "You know it is quite impossible for me to do such an action Kurama. Even if I could, it would kill your host."

The giant fox's eyes glowed in anger. "Let him die then! Like I care about that snot-nosed brat! He's brash, stupid, annoying, loud, and – "

"My descendant."

Kurama snorted. "So, he does have your chakra. I knew that he had some of Ashura's – Kushina made sure of that – but I didn't know for sure." He then grits his teeth in absolute hatred. "But _Madara's_ "

"Indra's."

"How could that happen?"

"His father – Madara's son," revealed Hagoromo.

"That damned Yondaime! I would have taken even more pleasure in his death if I knew that he was Madara's bastard!"

Hagoromo closed his eyes as he pondered his most troubled son. Indra… there was so much he regretted about raising the older brother of Ashura. The inheritor of his eyes then gave birth to the Uchiha clan, who carried the same curse of loss and hatred as their progenitor.

Madara was but one of the long line of Sharingan wielders that had left their grief control their actions. With more pain and loss, more power came to them thanks to Mangekyō, and in turn their hatred grew. The Curse of Hatred, it was called. The Curse of Indra's hatred.

"If it be your desire put an indictment to someone for Indra and his descendants actions… then you only need to look back at me, Kurama."

The fox growled. "I don't know why you would say that, old man."

"It was me that rejected Indra when I should have helped him. I gave him too little and Ashura too much. Love and respect have their place in the further development of the world, but so does might and power. Picking one and ignoring the other was my biggest folly in life… one that the world suffered as a consequence of."

Kurama seemed to agree, if grudgingly. "Too much kindness and you're a spineless weakling. Too much power and you're a tyrant."

"I succeeded as a son by bringing my mother to heel. I succeeded as a sage and as a ruler when I led countless peoples towards a new future… and I failed as a father at the end, my greatest shame.

"It's a little late for sob stories, old man, but if you want to feel even more guilty, then I have another one for you… us!" yelled Kurama. "Countless ages have come and gone since you've been alive and yet instead of living with humans, we have been imprisoned – all of us! Imprisoned into these bodies!"

Kurama was right to be angry, Hagoromo knew that, perhaps he had been optimistic about the future. People feared what they could not understand. he should have known that when those without the ability to use Ninshū began to grow wary of his followers, who could create amazing feats with chakra.

"Perhaps… but I told you that one, one individual would come… I saw it in my visions," said Hagoromo. "You knew about my abilities and that I could see far beyond the events that were happening currently."

"That's an overcomplicated way of saying you could see into the future, but I get remember."

Hagoromo nodded. "Uzumaki Naruto… he has the chakra of both Ashura and Indra… _my_ chakra."

Kurama started to laugh at the statement. "The brat? Seriously? You're comparing the brat to yourself?" His heavy chuckles got almost hysterical. "He's an idiot! To correlate both of you is an insult to your strength, old man."

"You did not know much about me in my youth, Kurama. His personality may be similar to Ashura's at first, but I have seen some parts of Indra in him – hidden, but very much present."

"He still will never rise up to your immense power, old man. I remember you creating _worlds_. The brat can barely take one tail of my power. If this is your successor, then I weep for our future," Kurama said mockingly.

"I see things you cannot, Kurama. I know several things… not all, but far more than most. Do not judge him for the level of power he has now. Judge him by his spirit, his character. So like Ashura and Indra and yet different from myself."

' _Better than myself in some cases.'_

Kurama grumbled. "I do not care about it anymore. I'm simply waiting for a time for me to get out from the brat's body and go to where nobody will bother me."

Hagoromo made a barely noticeable smile. "How would you do that, Kurama? So far from home in a world that would immediately chase after you with advanced technology?"

"Then I'll _crush_ them!" growled Kurama.

"Have you so little care about life now? Did I not teach you better?"

Kurama merely snorted in derision.

"He will be in need of your aid during his trials in this place," said Hagoromo.

"What makes this place so special? What kind of grand plan of fate or destiny necessitated us being here?" asked Kurama, a little bit calmer than he was before. As calm as the nine-tailed fox could be at least.

"This place is different – a new world so to say, a vast new world. Gaia has been plagued by my mistakes. I fear that young Naruto would only follow in the footsteps of either Ashura or Indra," explained Hagoromo. "But _here_. Here he has a new place, a place that offers to trials and tribulations that will allow him to grow. To prosper without the pressure of the Akatsuki or his village. He's free in here to become what he is meant to become… for better or worse."

Kurama stayed silent for a few minutes, looking deep in thought before he finally answered. "You know I will not be so easily swayed… I am not like the others. If Uzumaki Naruto is the person you saw all those years ago… then he will need to prove it."

Hagoromo nodded, knowing that it was the best that could be expected from Kurama. It was up to young Naruto now.

It was all up to him.

 **AN: Hope you enjoyed the chapter. It more time than the last, but I've been also concentrating on my main fic, which is what will be updated next.**

 **The Shadow is not a Marvel property (Hell, it's been used for crossovers more with DC than Marvel), but I just thought that it might get a mention because the only hero that's canonically been fighting since before modern times is Captain America, and he was more of a war figure.**

 **The Shadow is more of a pulp crime fighter, though he did get some comics (especially some great ones with Batman). Don't read the new one written by Si Spurrier, however. It's absolute trash that is completely unfaithful to the original character.**

 **As it is being hinted, the Marvel Universe itself is only just beginning. Tony Stark is still selling weapons, The Fantastic 4 just getting their powers, Spider-Man is still not in the scene. Dr. Strange does have his powers, but they've only been acquired recently.**

 **Finally, some bad news, unfortunately. If you didn't know, Steve Ditko – the original artist for Spider-Man and the creator of his iconic look – passed away recently. Next to Jack Kirby and John Romita Sr. (the man who went to illustrate Spider-Man after Ditko left), he was probably the most influential artist in Marvel's history, being the man responsible not only for Spider-Man's look, but also Dr. Strange. If you're libertarian leaning like myself however, you will find his independent work such as "Mr. A" quite fascinating. He also worked on Charlton Comics, that would be incorporated to DC in the 80's, meaning he also did some great work for DC.**

 **He was apparently still drawing until he passed away a couple of weeks ago at the age of 90. A sad day for comic book aficionados. One of the best artists to of have ever lived and a master in his field. His influence spread towards other known authors such as Neil Gaiman and Alan Moore. A great titan of the industry has passed from this world and into legend.**

 **Rest in Peace, Steve Ditko.**

 **If you have any questions, leave a review send a PM, or contact me on Discord, where I'm far more active.**

 **If you like the story, leave a review to leave your suggestions. I'm always willing to listen to constructive criticism.**

 **Until next time.**

 **The Metal Sage.**


	4. Fight

**Naruto and Marvel belong to Masashi Kishimoto and Disney respectively.**

 **AN: Hey people. Back with another chapter.**

 **Song for the chapter is "Fight" by Motörhead.**

 **Chapter IV: Fight**

* * *

If there was one thing that Naruto would wholeheartedly agree with Shikamaru, it was that almost all situations became inexorably more troublesome where women were involved. Whether it was buying clothes, food, planning an event, or in the present case, buying flowers.

"Yellow is the best for friendship," explained Jean as she picked a few tulips. "A bright and positive looking color."

Ororo, however, was looking at the green chrysanthemums with interest. "Green is the color of nature – of life and rebirth…" she said as her fingertips traced the flower delicately. "It might do Susan some good to have that connection."

"The doctors say that she isn't in a critical state anymore. It's only recovery from now on," countered Jean.

"Can't we get both?" asked Naruto, his hands filled with bags, each one with a different logo from the various assortment of shops he'd accompanied Jean and Ororo to.

He was beginning to understand why Scott didn't want to come along. Not that'd he'd pass a chance to spend time with the two female mutants.

"I believe that can work," said Ororo, kneeling down to pick the yellow and green flowers and organizing them into a bouquet.

Naruto knew that the white-haired mutant was well versed when it came to nature. She was a force of it, after all. Already, she had told him about a plan to create a garden in the mansion, as well as one smaller one next to her room. Being a fellow green-thumb, the jinchūriki was more than happy to help with Ororo's little project.

"Well then," interrupted Jean. "We have the get-well hamper, the balloon, the flowers, the chocolates… anything missing?"

"Us," said Ororo. "The hospital is very strict about their hours. We better get there soon."

"Right," Jean said sheepishly as they paid for the flowers and started to walk over to the hospital, taking the subway which was thankfully less crowded than usual.

"I still can't believe that Susan would do something as outlandish as going to space… what do you think happened up there?" asked Jean.

Naruto shrugged. "I guess we'll see when we get there."

"Thank the goddess that nothing serious happened to her. Things could have been much worse than they were," Ororo consoled.

"We still don't know exactly her status… only that she's apparently stable and available for visitations." Jean furrowed her brow. "Even then, we had to get special permission."

Naruto grinned. "She'll be alright!" he assured. Jean responded with a small smile.

"You're right," Jean sighed. "I guess I'm worrying a little too much – hey!" she suddenly exclaimed as she stood up. "Since when are you taller than me?!"

Naruto looked confused as she stood side to side with him. "I've always been taller than you, Jean."

"No way!" Jean said. "You were always the shorter one!"

Naruto smirked. After being one of the shorter students in the academy, it was nice that he was finally getting his long-delayed growth spurt. As of now, he stood a little taller than Jean and just a smidge shorter than Ororo. With any luck, he would continue to keep growing more and more.

"I'm a growing boy," Naruto offered, a little smug.

The hospital was only a couple of blocks away from the station. It was a tall building, just like everything in the giant city. In the front, there seemed to be an elderly yet jovial man trying to open the door while holding a box in his hands. Jean and Ororo promptly went to help him.

"Thank you," the old man wheezed, who despite his age still kept an air of youth and timeless mirth.

"You're welcome… where are you taking these?" asked Jean.

"Just to the car… gotta get it back home."

Jean smiled tenderly. "Don't worry, Naruto will help… right?" The tone of voice meant that it was not a suggestion.

"Err – sure!" Naruto just held his already overburdened hands. "Just put it on the top, old man."

"Naruto!" Ororo chided. "Manners!"

The elderly man just chuckled. "Oh, it's nothing. I have not forgotten my age. C'mon, kiddo."

The stranger started to walk over to his parked car, the ever-present smile never fading. Even with sunglasses hiding his eyes, they seemed to spark with endless amusement and imagination.

"Thank you, kiddo!" he said as he got into the car. "The world needs more heroes like you, y'know?"

"I'm not really sure that this was all that heroic, old man."

The man laughed. "Every little thing counts! Your adventure is just beginning!" His smirk then turned a little more devious. "A little advice, kiddo. You better hold on to those beautiful ladies… you won't regret it."

Before Naruto could even respond, the man thrust his hand in the air and exclaimed, "Excelsior!" before driving away and disappearing into the traffic.

The blue-eyed shinobi could not say why, but the words filled him with encouragement. One that kept on even when he returned to Jean and Ororo, who were busy with the receptionist.

"So, you're Miss Grey, Miss Munroe, and Mister…"

"Uzumaki."

"The location of these patients is being kept secret from the public. That includes the press. I don't think I need to tell you that the hospital and the government wants to keep it that way," warned the receptionist.

"We won't betray Sue's trust, ma'am," said Jean before walking over to the elevator.

Even when they got to the floor, the reception seemed to be guarded. Men that looked to be straight out of the Secret Service where on the floor lobby. Two more were stationed at either side of the door where Susan was supposedly resting. The guards asked for their identification again before they grudgingly opened the door.

Naruto did not know what he expected to see when he entered the hospital room. Given the severity of the news and Jean's anxiousness, he half expected to see a severely burned Susan, or at least with half her limbs missing. The last thing he thought he'd see was exactly what lay in front of him.

Susan was as normal and beautiful as the day he'd seen her.

"Sue! Are you alright?!" Jean exclaimed, almost rushing to the bed where the blonde had been busy reading a book.

"As good as I can be," answered Susan, a warm smile inviting them to come closer. "Thanks for visiting. It's kind of hard with how we've been… quarantined."

"That's not a problem!" said Naruto, almost buried in the gifts.

The older blonde almost laughed at the sight of him. "You didn't need to bring anything."

"Of course we did," said Jean while setting down the flowers by the window. "I remember being on the hospital bed and wanting something from the outside."

"A whisk of nature does wonders for your health," agreed Ororo.

"I'm grateful," said Susan.

"We're always here for a friend, Sue," said Naruto as he set down all the gifts. He wanted nothing more than to go ahead and give a flurry of questions to the blonde, but Ororo's little lessons on tact were telling him not to.

"How are you feeling?" he asked instead.

Susan tried her best to smile assuredly, but something seemed to be digging into her. "I'm doing well."

"You… you don't look that different at all," said Jean as carefully as she could. "I mean… when we heard you were in that spacecraft, we expected you to – "

"Be burned and mutilated beyond recognition," Susan finished, not even looking angry. "I guess I was lucky. I feel bad about what happened with Reed and… Ben."

"I don't want to sound rude, Susan. But what possessed you to go into space just like that?" Jean asked as politely as she possibly could.

Susan sighed, looking outside the window, deep in thought. "I guess you could call it being… misguided. Now that I think about it… it was foolish."

Jean bit back a smile. "I can understand that… when it comes down to it… sometimes you don't even know why you bother."

"You try as hard as you can but he's so…"

"Thickheaded? Oblivious?"

"Sometimes you think that you're only talking to yourself," continued Susan, the smile finally reaching her eyes.

"He never really seems to notice or listen," agreed Jean.

At this point, Naruto did not know what they were talking about, but still responded. "I always listen to you, Jean. Ororo too." He smiled sheepishly. "I can listen to Susan as well."

Jean giggled a little. "Of course, you do."

Susan sighed tiredly. "I guess you want to know about what we did… up there."

Nobody said anything, but it was clear that the three visitors were anticipating an explanation.

"The short story is – we went to space with a starship that Reed built. He mostly funded it with his own money… but the rest was government money. After initial interest, they wanted to pull out of the project and Reed decided to use it himself before it was shut down. He got his military friend, Ben Grimm to pilot it… but he needed two more people."

"You and Johnny," Ororo finished.

Susan nodded. "I had already read ahead – despite only recently starting college – but Reed was desperate… we agreed to go." She took a deep breath. "It started out fine at first… it was a really good ship, but… something happened that Reed did not foresee."

"The debris hit you?" asked Jean. "That's what the news said it was."

"A coverup," revealed Susan. "We were hit by heavy levels of radiation. We did not know where it came from, but it was massive."

"H-How are you still alive?" asked Jean.

Susan looked at her hand like it was a foreign object. "You can say we survived… but not unscathed."

"Cancer? Cell damage?" asked Ororo.

"No… something different."

"What happened?" asked Naruto.

"It's… not my place to say, but… let's just say that we all changed," sighed Susan. "Even if you can't see it with the naked eye." She looked really uncomfortable at that moment, so much so that Naruto inadvertently put his hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry. We understand." He could feel the warmth of her shoulder. Closing her eyes, Susan tried to shake her head.

"I… I don't think you can. It's… unnatural."

"We won't judge a friend, Sue," Jean assured, also putting her hand on the blonde's shoulder.

"It's… very hard to explain." Tears could be seen spilling from her closed eyes. "I guess… I just need to show you."

It was like Susan started to disappear, turning more and more transparent until only her silhouette could be seen with the naked eye. Eventually, even that went away. The only thing that could even show that she was in the room was the fact that the hospital gown still clung to the body like it was floating on air.

The rest of the room was speechless as they saw this, even when Susan became visible again, they did not say a word.

"There… that's what happened to me… I don't know why or what else, it just happened." Susan looked down at her lap, refusing to meet their gaze.

Jean let the blonde have a few moments before she hugged Susan closely. "It's nothing to be ashamed of," she said, fingers drawing circles on Susan's back.

"I… I just… I don't know how to deal with this. And Ben! Oh god… poor Ben!"

"Sue," Jean said, "you're not alone." Once she had Susan's attention, she concentrated on one of the flowers and levitated it, drawing it to her before giving it to the older woman. "We know exactly what you're going through."

"Wh-What?" Susan gasped, blue eyes wide as they scanned over to Ororo and Naruto.

Naruto held his hand and let a bit of visible blue chakra envelop it. His blue eyes turned red with one tomoe on each orb. Ororo on the other hand created a small tornado on her palm, vanishing it after a few seconds.

"We're quite similar to you, only we our powers didn't necessitate radiation," explained Ororo.

"So, you're – "

"Mutants. Our genes have mutated from normal humans to give us special abilities," explained Jean. "You're not much different when you think about it. Your genes have probably mutated. You just needed a little… push."

"Are there more of you?" asked Susan.

"There are. More and more show up each day," revealed Jean. "I was the first of Professor Xavier's students. Then Scott came along, and then Ororo," said dark-skinned mutant nodded, "and finally Naruto."

"I see. I must seem foolish to you then, complaining about such a thing," said Susan sheepishly.

Jean shook her head. "Not at all. It was difficult for all of us to accept it at first."

' _Not for me,'_ thought Naruto but did not air it. _'But that's because I grew up with the fact that I had such abilities. For people on this planet, it's far different to know you've been gifted – or cursed – with such powers.'_

"Does it get better? I've sometimes been doing stuff without being able to control it."

Ororo nodded with a smile. "It takes practice. We learn about our powers day by day, it gets easier and easier."

Susan looked out the window again. This time, a fierce determination was brewing behind those blue eyes. When she looked back at them, a strong voice said, "You're right… I will do it. I will do my best."

The door opened in that moment and a tall, young man with eyes and hair similar to Susan stormed in. "Hey Sue! You're not gonna believe this! I went to Ben's room and – hey!"

"Johnny," Susan sighed. "What did you do now?"

"Forget that! I didn't know we had visitors… and it's Ororo, too!"

The weather manipulator looked at Johnny with some condescension. As much as someone as kind-hearted as Ororo could muster. "Good afternoon, Johnny."

"I missed you when I was in space, babe. Now I got myself all wounded and hurt up," Johnny despaired mockingly. "Can't you help me with a get-well kiss?"

"Johnny!" Susan yelled. "Don't flirt with my friends!"

"What?" Johnny asked innocently. "I'm asking nice, Sue!" He then looked over to Naruto. "Hey, I don't think I've ever seen you before. I should know a fellow blonde when I see one."

Naruto couldn't help but compare Johnny to a combination of Kiba and Ero-sennin. Quickly he put out shook the other blonde's hand. "Naruto Uzumaki. I'm gonna be starting at Bayville soon."

"We'll see each other then. I gotta go before – "

"Johnny!" growled a low, almost inhuman voice from outside the room.

"See ya!" yelled Johnny before running out.

The door did not close, however, and a nurse soon came in the room to run some diagnostics on Susan. "I must inform you that visiting hours are over now. You can come back tomorrow."

They all said their goodbyes to Susan, assuring that they'd visit as much as they could.

"I'm going to see what they have planned out… Reed says that we may become a team of sorts after its all done. I'll keep in contact with you. Hope to see you again."

When Naruto exited the room, he saw a tall, older looking man sitting in one of the chairs. The man's world seemed to be consumed only by the mountain of texts in front of him. The shinobi had to call him out a few times before he managed to shake off his concentration.

"Hello," he said to Naruto. "I'm Dr. Richards. I assume you're one of Susan's friends."

He looked much older than the rest of them, almost twenty years. He even had gray hairs on his sideburns and seemed to carry himself with an air of knowledge.

"Yes, I am," responded the jinchūriki. "But I'm also Naruto Uzumaki. Professor Xavier told you about me?"

"Ah, Naruto. I am sorry that I could not get to your case sooner. The Professor told me about you, but I was too busy with my own disastrous project. Now I am occupied with fixing that unfortunate outcome," said Reed. "Do you mind if you visit me around next month? I might have something for you."

"Sure. I'll be waiting." It was hard to say those words. Naruto wanted to know how to get home as soon as possible, but looking back at Ororo and Jean – not to mention his talk with Susan – he guessed it wouldn't be too bad to stay some more time before he found a way back home.

Before they went back to the mansion, they decided to take advantage of the fact that they'd come all the way to the city and went to eat at a Japanese themed restaurant.

The idea of freshly made ramen was too good to pass for Naruto.

"I think it's admirable," said Jean. "Trying to use your powers for the good of others. Scientists and doctors have gifts that they use to better mankind."

"Some of them use it only to benefit themselves," Ororo reminded.

"That's why the good ones exist. To protect the innocent from the bad ones," countered Jean. "Like Logan and the Professor."

"Back home," Naruto interrupted, "we had the leader of our village who was called the Hokage."

Jean and Ororo looked at him but did not interrupt.

"The Hokage means the Fire Shadow. Each of our villages had their own Kage – their own Shadow – to protect them. Before he died, the Third told me that the Hokage cares for everyone in the village as if they were his own family. The Hokage lives for the village, and the village lives for the Hokage. Someone they can trust to do what is right."

"What do you mean?" asked Jean.

"It means that your city seems to have no Kage. No shadow. No protector."

"We have the police, and the mayor," said Jean.

"But they do not stand as a symbol for the village. An agent of justice and righteousness. They are hamstringed by other and can't do their jobs," insisted Naruto.

"You want to use your powers to protect the city?" asked Ororo. "What if the city turns against you?"

Naruto looked down for a moment. He remembered his in Konoha. The insults and the put-downs. The belief that'd he'd never amount to anything.

But he also remembered his friends, and his enemies, and Ero-sennin, Tsunade baa-chan, Sakura-chan, Kakashi, Gaara, Haku, Zabuza, Konohamaru, the old man…

…Sasuke.

"You just have to believe… and try your best until you convince them otherwise." His tone was final.

Despite their earlier interrogation, both Ororo and Jean smiled at him. For some reason or another, Naruto felt a lot older than he was, and those warm smiles made him tingle inside in a way that not even Sakura had been able to before.

"So," said Jean. "What would be your name?"

"My name?"

"Well… Ororo calls herself Storm. Logan calls himself Wolverine. Even Scott has decided to give himself the name Cyclops. You need a name to protect your real identity. What would be your name?"

Naruto thought about it. Nobody kept their identity secret back home. They did gain some nicknames from their feats on the battlefield, everyone knew their real names.

"I dunno," said Naruto. "What about you, Jean?"

The redhead smirked before answering. "Marvel Girl."

Naruto did not say anything in fear that Jean would take it wrongly and stop talking to him. That would be a bad thing. He'd been getting closer and closer to Jean. Scott's indifference seemed to be driving her to get closer to the jinchūriki instead for friendship. He didn't want to lose her just as he didn't want to lose his relationship with Ororo.

His white-haired friend did not say anything either, but he did notice a slight twitch on her lip before she answered with a "It sounds good."

Their talk was cut short by the news on the TV that billionaire Tony Stark was being reported missing on the Middle-East after a demonstration of a weapon.

"Killed by your own tools of destruction," Ororo said with a trace of disgust. "I believe that there is some justice to that."

"They don't know if he's dead. Just missing," reminded Jean.

Before Naruto could say his own thing, he saw something from the corner of his now red eye.

His first instinct was to grab both Ororo and Jean, pulling them down on the table before a couple of stray bullets entered the restaurant. One person behind them was hit, but a quick look told Naruto that it had been a shoulder wound, not lethal.

The gunshots began to get louder, coming from the bank that was on the other side of the street. A quick peek from the stone wall told the Sharingan user that the culprits were three men, armed with assault rifles. A couple of cops lay in the streets, one wounded, the other dead.

Naruto's military instincts took over, and immediately jumped into the fray. "Stay down!" he ordered to both Jean and Ororo, before running towards the robbers.

"Naruto, no!" Jean shouted from behind but he ignored her. The robbers were distracted with the wounded cop, so they did not see as he grabbed the manhole cover and threw it like a disk at the nearest thug.

The blonde barely had the time to see the first gunman fall like a sack of potatoes before the other two turned their attention to him, as well as their weapons. Naruto quickly took cover behind a car.

"You little shit!" one of them said before he started to unload his rifle at the vehicle.

Naruto effortlessly _shunsin'd_ to the furthest thug and kicking him straight in the head so hard that the shinobi could hear the skull crack.

The last one barely had time to react before Naruto was right on his face and grabbing the rifle. He used the barrel to swing it like a club, hitting the thug on the temple with the sharp butt. He was out before he even hit the ground.

"Ca…Captain Stacy," the wounded cop gurgled. "C-Call…" He was pointing at the radio of his fallen partner.

Naruto took the hint and grabbed the radio. "Captain Stacy?" he yelled into it.

"That's not my codename, Rodriguez!" came the answer, "Report!"

"And I'm not a cop!" Naruto snarked. "Your guy is down and he needs an ambulance!"

There was a short silence before the voice answered back. "Stay in the area, civilian! Wait for the ambulance to show up!"

"Naruto!" Jean screamed, running out of the store and embracing him tightly. Ororo was right behind her

"We have to get out of here," said the weather manipulator.

"The cops said – "

"We can't get involved," interrupted Ororo. "We have to get back to the mansion."

Naruto nodded before he dropped the radio and followed them out of the scene. He had no idea how much they ran, but he stopped once he saw that Ororo and Jean were panting. They had good physical condition, but he was particularly energetic, even for a shinobi.

"What were you thinking!" snapped Jean.

"What? I was thinking about saving that cop and stopping the bad guys!" answered Naruto

"You could have died!" Jean yelled. "Did you think for a moment about yourself?! About your own safety?!"

"I was too busy thinking about the cop they were about to execute!" exclaimed Naruto. "I saved him! Isn't that what we've been talking about? Saving lives?"

Jean's anger seemed to dissipate after a few breaths before she embraced him again. "It's just… I don't know what I'd do if you were harmed. How could I live with myself if I let you die?!"

Naruto smiled as he held her. "I'm alright, Jean. I promise you that I won't die on you." He let go of her and looked into those jade eyes. "I don't break my promises… ever."

Jean turned a little red for a moment before she started to breathe deeply. "I'll go get us a cab… and you'll have to explain this to the Professor."

The blonde nodded, looking at the sky with a smile before he felt another smaller, yet equally tender hug from Ororo.

"That was a brave thing you did, Naruto," she said. "Not many people are so instinctively selfless."

"You are selfless yourself," replied Naruto, returning the hug and letting that fresh aroma of nature fill his senses.

It was a strange feeling going back to the mansion, all three of them packed in the rear seat. They did not even speak to each other yet the comfortable silence was enough for Naruto. It was the first time since arriving in this place that he did not think of Konoha or worry about returning back home. In fact, it was the first time since arriving that he felt that being then and there was home.

' _The more I'm here, the less I think about Konoha. The more I'm with Scott and Logan, the less I think about my friends… and the more I'm with Jean and Ororo, the less I think about Sakura-chan.'_

It was a feeling that Naruto knew would be gone soon. By tomorrow, he'd be looking forward to answers from Reed Richards and a way to return, but for now his subconscious thought of one thing and one thing only.

' _What if I don't want to return?'_

* * *

 **AN: So, this is a short chapter. The shortest I've ever done. I thought it'd be a good enough way to end it given that the next one is gonna be way bigger. Still, I hope you enjoy it despite its length.**

 **I will be focusing my attention on this fic for the next chapter and then see what I feel like writing next between this and AGP.**

 **Before I post the next one, I'm gonna go ahead and do some changes to the first three chapters. Not that many, just some additions and fixes to the grammar, as well as change a few inconsistencies.**

 **Hope you like it. Leave a review. I'm very active with my audience if you have a question or want to leave a commentary (just no spoiler questions.)**

 **I'm most active on my Discord server. Link in my profile.**

 **Until next time.**

 **The Metal Sage**


	5. Birth of a Hero

**Naruto and Marvel belong to Masashi Kishimoto and Disney respectively.**

 **AN: Hey people. Back with another chapter. Hopefully this chapter's length (and release date) makes up for the last one.**

 **Song for the chapter is "Birth of a Hero" by Kamelot.**

 **Chapter IV: Birth of a Hero**

* * *

If Naruto had been told a year ago that'd he'd not only be spending more time at the Shinobi Academy – for four more years at least, on top of that – he would've despaired and brooded in such a way that Sasuke would have filed for a lawsuit.

He'd never been one for theoretical knowledge, at least not when he toiled away at the Academy. He was always the kind of person that learned through practice and contact, the kind of person that needed his lessons to be beaten into him by force. Once that was done, Naruto could say that he was kind of a genius. It's just that nobody had managed to do something similar with his mind.

That was, until Jean Grey came into his life.

"Just remember our lessons and you'll be alright," said the redhead as the bus stopped at a large campus. On its center was Bayville High School. "You're smart – even if you don't believe it yourself – I'm sure you will do great in here."

"Guess I'll just do my best," Naruto replied, tingles running over his body at Jean's words.

It looked far grander than the Shinobi Academy, that's for sure. The main building was at least four times as big as the Shinobi Academy, and that was not even mentioning the various other structures. Jean had assured him that there was a basketball court where she played for the school's female team. She did so as well for the soccer team. There was a football team.

"You should apply," Jean had told him. "I think the sport is perfect for you. That or soccer. Just remember to keep your abilities in check."

"Do you?"

"Of course," she responded. "I'm proud to say that my sportsmanship is all natural."

The doors of the bus opened and all the students exited the large, yellow vehicle. Ororo was the first to leave the closed off space but still waited for them to exit as well.

"I can't wait to get my license," Scott grumbled, adjusting his glasses. "I'll never ride the bus again."

"That goes for the two of us," agreed Naruto. He was not interested in just cars though. Ever since he saw Logan riding his own motorcycle, he'd been fascinated.

In the end he knew Naruto was faster on his two legs, but once he got used to being in the cars, he understood the appeal.

"You all have your schedules?" asked Ororo. They all nodded. "This is where we split off then."

Naruto had been told that he was a freshman – a newbie. Scott and Jean were one year ahead as sophomores. Ororo was one year further, a junior. To the blonde, it felt like he was starting his Academy lessons all over again.

' _Still,'_ Naruto thought, _'it could be a chance to do it right this time. Jean said I was smart… maybe I should truly try my best.'_

The sound of a loud engine drew all their attention. At the helm of an expensive looking sports car, was Johnny Storm, recently out of the hospital and more than likely willing to tell the school about how he single-handedly saved the world from an alien invasion.

"Hey guys!" yelled the older blonde. "Nice to see you here. Sue sends her regards. Now if you excuse me," he said with a busty brunette on his arm, "I gotta get to class."

Given his age, Johnny was a senior – his last year before graduating – and was looking pretty ecstatic about the possibility of going out on his own. He already had his future fixed in a way. Susan had told them that the four involved in the space incident would be staying at a place called the Baxter Building.

Naruto would be visiting the place soon to find out what Dr. Reed could do about his situation. It was supposedly right in the middle of New York City, and the Professor would be accompanying him.

"Well, it's time for all of us to split," said Jean. "You don't want to be late on your first day, Naruto."

"Right." Naruto nodded as he walked at the main building.

"We can see each other at lunch break," said Ororo before going to her own class.

Naruto nodded before he started to search for his own classroom. It was confusing at first compared to the Academy. Back in Konoha, there was only one room for the entire class. With the number of students all in the same year, Bayville had to make several different schedules on different hours in order to accommodate all of them efficiently. It was understandable, but no less frustrating.

Finally, the jinchūriki found the classroom and entered and was relieved to find that it was only half-full, the instructor still not present.

He sat down on one of the desks and looked at his curriculum. Biology, literature, math, among others. Sure, it was similar to the Shinobi Academy's, but the use of it seemed different. In Bayville, biology was used to find out how the body worked and as an early guide to aspiring doctors and physicians. Back in Konoha, it was taught so that the students could figure out the exact location of vital organs and thus, and easier way to eliminate their opponents as quickly and as decisively as possible.

"Good morning, class!" said the female teacher as she entered. "I hope you enjoyed your summer break, I sure did, but it's time to get back to your education." She then looked at Naruto. "But before we start, I would like to introduce our new exchange student – Mister Uzumaki?"

Naruto looked a little confused when everyone looked at him but he stood once he got the hint. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki from Japan. Honored to meet you," he said to the class with a small bow before sitting down.

There were a few murmurs, especially from the female population, but it was soon quieted by the teacher who proceeded to start the class.

It was literature class and despite being new to the English language, Naruto was confident enough to say that he would have no problem in getting top grades. After a reading assignment, his class grabbed their science textbooks and went to another classroom.

A large man soon entered the classroom. "Good morning." Despite his size, the teacher's voice was calm and soft. "My name is Henry McCoy, and I will be your science teacher for the near future. Hopefully, you're as enthused as I am to unearth the mysteries life."

' _Kami, this guy and the ring-eyed old man would get along well!'_

The subject was still fascinating, once you got through the professor's vocabulary. Against every single fabric of reality, Naruto actually found himself paying attention as Dr. McCoy explained what they would be seeing throughout the year, from physics to chemistry, biology, among other, more intricate scientific subjects. Not to mention that the study of them could end the mystery of what brought him here. Reed Richards was a physics expert, after all.

The blonde approached the large teacher as he sat writing on the desk. "Dr. McCoy?" Henry looked up. Naruto simply held his hand. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki."

"Ah… yes… how can I help you?" responded the teacher.

"I want to know more about physics," Naruto said quickly. "About space, and stars, and how you travel through them. Anything!"

Dr. McCoy put his hands up and chuckled. "Patience, patience. I can give point you to some beginner's texts for the time being. You should be able to find them in the library." He started to scribble on a note. "I must say – I'm quite elated that youth like yourself would be fascinated by the intricacies of physics. I expect much from you."

Naruto took the note with a smile. Basic stuff, but it was something. "Thanks!" he exclaimed before leaving the classroom and hurrying over to the cafeteria.

It was packed and noisy, a mixture of returning students trying to catch up with their friends as well as newer ones trying to strike conversation with anyone, lest they be labelled as anti-social early on in their high-school freshman year.

Naruto searched for a moment before he spied Ororo's telltale white hair, its owner sitting down with the easily recognizable Jean and Scott.

"Hey," Naruto greeted, sitting down with his tray.

"Having a good first day?" asked Ororo.

"Good enough. These subjects aren't half bad, actually," he replied.

"I told you you'd be great," said Jean. "You've met Dr. McCoy?"

"Yeah, he's great!" exclaimed Naruto. "I'd never thought physics could be so interesting until I met him. Even recommended some reading."

Their chatter was interrupted by the arrival of a big, blonde haired guy. "Hey Jean," he said with an arrogant and somewhat slimy voice. "Nice to see you again." He sat down next to the redhead and put his burly hand around Jean.

Naruto instantly hated this guy.

"Hey Duncan," said Jean. The guy had a name. Naruto instantly hated Duncan.

"Why don't we go off to my table, sweetheart. All the guys are there…"

Looking at his side, Naruto saw that apparently Ororo hated Duncan too. Not that he'd hold that against her.

"See you later?" Jean asked, a little embarrassed before being slowly pulled by the Duncan. Looking back, the redhead gave them apologetic looks.

"That guy has giant stick stick up his ass," said Naruto.

"I don't know what Jean sees in him," agreed Ororo, not even reprimanding Naruto's choice of words.

"Hey, Naruto!" called a new voice. Turning his head, the jinchūriki saw that another, friendlier blonde was coming over.

"Hey, Johnny. Having a good day." Naruto did not stop looking at Jean and Duncan even when greeting Sue's little brother.

"Pretty good… trouble in paradise?" asked Johnny, apparently tracing a line from Naruto's eyesight to where Jean was sitting by Duncan.

Naruto sneered a little. "Not for long." He waited for Jean to stand up and head over to refill her empty glass and promptly concentrated on Duncan, drinking from a small carton of milk obnoxiously.

The carton suddenly exploded on Duncan's face, covering it and the upper part of his uniform in milk. The big guy spluttered and choked a little before the entire cafeteria starting laughing at him. He looked confused at first before he got embarrassed and growled at his friends to shut up. From the sidelines, Jean just watched the spectacle, looking like she was debating between staying back and going over to help her humiliated boyfriend.

Naruto just laughed with the rest. Even Johnny joined. Scott could not look more satisfied, and Ororo was doing her best to hid a concealed smirk before giving him the almost obligatory reprimand.

"Naruto, you must learn to use your powers responsibly, and keep them hidden as best as you can."

"I _am_ using them responsibly," Naruto smirked. "Nobody's gonna notice the small things… unless you're a ninja!"

The laughs finally stopped when Duncan left for the bathroom. A sheepish looking Jean then walked back to their table and sat down besides Naruto like she had never left. The jinchūriki couldn't help the megawatt smile that crept on his lips.

' _Yeah… I think I'm gonna like high school more than the Academy.'_

* * *

Saturday came with a cloudy day. The breeze and slightly chilly wind were clear indicators that autumn had arrived. It was slightly strange to Naruto – back in Konoha, the weather seemed to change only slightly when the seasons turned. He doubted that he even remembered if it snowed in Hi no Kuni. The entire country almost always had the feeling of an eternal spring.

New York State, on the other hand, changed quite rapidly with the seasons. He made sure to grab a light sweater (at Jean's insistence of course) before he left his room and walked over to the Professor's office. Today was the day he'd finally receive answers.

He was going to the Baxter Building to meet Dr. Reed.

"I'm ready, Professor!" Naruto yelled, barging into the room. He immediately noticed the Professor sitting behind the desk. The shinobi noticed that every inhabitant of the X-Mansion was there. Looking at the unfamiliar and strange figure sitting in one of the chairs, he found out why.

"Ah – if it isn't our missing student," drawled Professor Xavier. The rest of them were sending Naruto disapproving looks for his borderline rude entrance. "Might I introduce to you our new student."

" _Guten morgen_ ," said the blue, fuzzy-looking man. "I am Kurt Wagner." He thrust out his hand for a handshake. Naruto noticed that he only had three, long fingers instead of the normal five.

Naruto did not even hesitate to take the furry hand and shake it firmly. "Thank _Kami_! I am no longer the newbie… Naruto Uzumaki by the way."

"It's a pleasure to meet you!" Kurt's voice was a mixture of happiness and relief, as if he had expected another type of answer than the one he got. Naruto knew that appearances could be deceiving. This Kurt fellow seemed to be friendly and innocent enough.

"Naruto," interrupted the Professor. "You've been with us for some months. I expect you to help the rest of us to help Kurt to settle in. He's also in your school year and in your classes."

"Erm… Professor?" asked Kurt. "What do you mean with classes? I cannot go outside looking… looking like this."

"I have a solution for that." The Professor retrieved a wristwatch from his desk and handed it to the blue mutant.

Kurt looked at the device curiously before putting it on. Almost instantly, he transformed into a normal looking person. The bone structure and head hair remained the same, but the three fingers were replaced with five and the blue, furry skin turned white.

"I don't believe it!" the newly transformed German teen exclaimed. "I look normal!"

"You can thank Dr. Richards for that little gadget," said the Professor. "Speaking of – it's time for me and Naruto to go meet him. Give me a few minutes while I get the last things ready."

Naruto nodded before looking at Kurt with a grin. "So… what's your power?!" he asked excitedly.

"Oh! Right!" Kurt said before he disappeared with a flash and some smoke (Naruto noticed how similar it looked to when his **Kage Bunshin** were dispelled), leaving behind the stench of sulfur.

"Up here!" came the accented voice of Kurt. Looking up, Naruto saw that the new mutant was on the roof. Another flash and he appeared right in front the blonde shinobi. "What's yours?"

"Leave it to another time!" Jean intervened. "You don't want to see Naruto's abilities indoors… believe me."

"You hurt my soul, Jean!" Naruto whined before he used his mind to levitate a nearby vase. "I've gotten a lot better."

"You have. I was talking about the other ones. The… _chakura_ ones."

" _Chakra,_ Jean-chan." He did not know where the "chan" came from, but it sounded nice when combined with the redhead's name. "Anyways, I have to go with the Professor."

"Say hi to Sue for us!" yelled Jean as he left.

"Good luck, Naruto," said Ororo.

"I'll come back tonight guys." Naruto waved them goodbye while rushing down to the entrance of the mansion, seeing that a fancy black car had already been stationed in the driveway. He waited for Professor Xavier to show up.

"Are you ready?" asked the older telepath. Naruto nodded rapidly. "Good. Hopefully, traffic won't be as unforgiving as it usually is."

Given that it was New York City, Naruto had very little hope for that. Nevertheless, he entered the back of the car and was surprised to see that Logan would be the driver.

"I must instill in you the idea that you may not get an answer you might want," said the Professor. "There are many mysteries to unveil in the realm of science. So many that not even a brilliant mind like Reed Richards knows everything."

Naruto nodded slowly. "I understand Professor, but I still want to just how the hell I got here to begin with."

"Understandable. Whatever the case, I trust you know that you will always stay welcome at the Institute."

"Thanks," said Naruto. The thoughts of the previous month were returning to him. He didn't mind staying for more time with his new friends. Even with having to go to school again, it was like a chance to try again – to not be the class' dead-last. To get some respect and knowledge.

But his friends were still back home.

"You've been getting closer with Jean and Ororo." The Professor's voice broke Naruto's thoughts.

Naruto did his best to stop the pink flush. "I guess I have."

"You're a real ladies' man, kid," came the sarcastic voice of Logan, but Xavier ignored him.

"That's a good thing. It's healthy to make relationships with new people after you have lost so much. I do hope you continue to make friends as more students come along."

"More students?"

The Professor nodded. "I managed to find Kurt and the rest of you, but Cerebro seems to be picking new readings every day. I'd say that by the time the year is over, we'll have at least a few more young mutants with us."

Naruto grinned. The idea of new people did interest him, especially after speaking with Kurt Wagner. Maybe the other guys wouldn't be as silent as Scott… and hopefully the girls would be just as nice as Jean and Ororo.

"Naruto." The Professor's tone had changed to a more serious one. "I have not used my mind to get any information out of you, and I'd like to think that you can trust me."

Naruto nodded carefully, a little nervous about what the older telepath might ask.

"I would like to know what you did back in your home. What was the last thing that happened before you… travelled here?"

Naruto pursed his lips a little but eventually decided to finally say it. He was afraid of what his new friends might think about his "occupation", along with the hatefully entity of pure chakra sealed inside him, but finally decided to say his story.

Some of it at least.

"Where I come from, the nations are divided by agreed to borders, just like this planet. There are five big ones, though – the most important of them all." The Professor kept looking at him, and Logan was visibly interested while behind the wheel.

"I was born into one of these. The Land of Fire. _Hi no Kuni_ , in our language. Each of the five great nations has a hidden village ruled over by a _Kage_. I came from the _Konohagakure no Sato_ , the Village Hidden in the Leaves. The _Hokage_ was our ruler."

"Ruler?" Logan asked. "He was not elected by the people?"

"The new Hokage is chosen by the previous one. The daimyō then confirms the decision. If the Hokage passes away before nominating a successor, then the village council decides who will be the new Hokage."

"So, he was a military dictator?" Logan questioned gruffly.

Naruto grew angry immediately. "The old man was _not_ a dictator! He was a great man and powerful warrior!"

"So was Caesar, kid. Call a spade a spade."

"The _Sandaime_ led our forces to victory in the Third Shinobi World War!" Naruto yelled his reply. "And the _Yondaime_ defeated _Iwagakure_ single-handedly! Prevented our village from being destroyed by the _Kyūbi_! I will become the strongest Hokage one day, believe it!" The shinobi felt his mind relax a little, courtesy of the Professor. He took a deep breath and stopped yelling.

"Let's get back to what you were saying before. What did you do in Konoha?" asked Xavier.

"I was a shinobi. I graduated from the Academy and was placed on a team as a _genin_ , a low ranked ninja."

"What did you shinobi do."

Naruto thought about it for some time. "Well… we genin did a lot of things. We get assigned missions depending on difficulty – from D-rank to S-rank. We did many D-ranks like walking dogs, catching pets, pulling weeds." Naruto started to remember the utterly boring missions he did before going to Wave.

"What do the higher missions do?"

"C-Ranks include protecting convoys, people, clearing out bandits and other non-shinobi, procuring packages. It depends on what the client wants."

"So, you were mercenaries?" Logan asked rudely but Naruto ignored him in favor of the Professor's questions.

"What did the higher ranks entail?"

"Espionage and assassination." Naruto tried to find a way to say it another way, but there was no avoiding the truth. Both the Professor and Logan visibly stiffened, but he continued.

"B-Ranks are were private clients end. A and S-ranked missions are given only by the Hokage with the knowledge of the council and elders. They are assigned only to highly ranked jōnin – a high ninja – and serve the nation's and village's interest. We still get paid for every mission we complete, though."

Logan was the first to break the silence. "A village of contract killers… great. Like I told you Chuck – child soldier. There's no way the kid had moves like that without military training."

"Naruto," the Professor asked with evident sorrow. "Have you ever… killed before?"

Naruto shook his head. "Not yet. I was still a genin. I did see people die, though." He thought back to Haku and Zabuza. "I am a shinobi – it's part of the job."

"It's still a hard thing for one so young to see," said the bald telepath. "I trust you know that killing without the government's permission is a crime here?"

"It was the same in Konoha… but I was an agent of the government, if you can say that."

The Professor looked deep in thought before he aired his next question. "You mentioned a… _Kyūbi._ What is that?"

Naruto almost choked. "I… I'd rather keep that to myself, Professor."

Professor Xavier looked like he wanted to know more but nodded his head. "I understand."

"Erm… Professor?" Naruto asked. "Does this change anything? Will I have to leave the mansion?" The thought of not seeing Jean or Ororo again gave him an uncomfortable feeling. He did not want to be separated from them.

The Professor simply smiled reassuringly. "The school is always open for mutants in need. You are still welcome to stay with us, Naruto."

"Take it from me, kid," Logan grunted. "Chuck is too forgiving for his own good." He stopped the car. "We're here."

The Baxter Building was truly imposing. One of the largest structures Naruto had seen in the entire city. It looked to be almost brand new, yet Naruto knew that it had been renovated extensively. It boasted thirty-five stories, and in the highest of them all, rested a giant symbol – the number "4". It fit the name that Susan and Johnny told him about, the Fantastic Four.

Compromised of Reed Richards as the leader, Ben Grimm, Susan, and Johnny Storm, the group had been making the rounds on the local media. Some outlets called them a visionary new team that could help the nation and the world with their abilities – not to mention Dr. Richard's expertise. Other tabloids were content with calling them thugs and criminals.

Once they were allowed entrance, they walked to the elevator and were taken to the thirtieth floor. Naruto barely had time to step out before he was welcomed by a warm and familiar voice.

"Naruto!" Susan welcomed while sitting down on one of the lobby sofas, a book on her hand. She immediately stood up and hurried over to hug the shinobi. "God, you grow taller every day!"

Naruto smirked. "Ororo has been insistent on me eating my meat and veggies." He was a little miffed that his ramen consumption had fallen to dangerously low levels, but his body was certainly agreeing with the weather manipulator's diet. In the few months since he arrived, he'd grown a total of six inches and he was still developing.

"You look better every day, Sue. Jean and Ororo say hello." Naruto returned the hug.

"Greet them back for me." The blonde woman then smiled and held out her hands. "Look at this – new powers." There was a visible force that was emitted from her palms, almost like a force field.

"Nice!" exclaimed Naruto. Before he could say anymore, Charles Xavier cleared his throat.

"Good afternoon, Miss Storm. We are looking for Dr. Reed. Is he available?" the Professor asked gently.

Naruto could almost see the tick of frustration that formed on Susan's brow. "Oh, he's available alright – always available, always willing to pay attention to you… if you happen to be a machine, or a book, or a computer or…" she sighed, stopping her frustrated rant, "… sorry. He'll be at the thirty-third floor."

"You have our thanks," said the Professor before turning back to the elevator. Before Naruto followed him though, he heard Susan continue her rant.

" _Seriously? What the hell does it take for a girl to get noticed? Cooking? He just ate it while reading! Didn't even compliment! Working with him? He ignores me! Flirting? I get better responses from a rock! Going to the pool in my riskiest bikini? Didn't even look! Am I just too ugly and dumb?"_

"You're not!" Naruto exclaimed. "You're very pretty and smart! You are one of the smartest people I've met, Sue!"

Susan looked momentarily stunned before her white face turned a potent crimson. "D-Did I say that out loud?" she whispered.

It took a few seconds for realization to hit the jinchūriki. _'Oh shit!'_ Naruto thought. _'Those were her thoughts!'_ He started to wave his hands desperately, face also turning red. "I-I… didn't… what I mean to say is – "

"Naruto," said Xavier. "Coming with us?"

Naruto jumped at the Professor's direction with barely a "Sorry, see you later" to Susan. He didn't even know he was holding his breath until the elevator door closed again.

"Your powers are growing. Expect more training from now on to avoid such confrontations," warned the Professor. Naruto simply nodded.

Dr. Reed Richards was sitting on a desk when the trio of mutants stepped out of the elevator. The genius seemed to not even notice that they were there, content to tinker with some device in front of him. It was not until Naruto stepped in front of the leader of the Fantastic Four that he managed to look away from his business.

"Professor Xavier," greeted Reed. "Welcome to the Baxter Building."

"A pleasure," replied the Professor. "I believe you said you had some information concerning Naruto's arrival?"

"I believe my exact words were that I might have something," said Reed. The mutants barely blinked as his hand stretched to grab a laptop of some sort on the other side of the room and brought it to the desk. "I will need some testimony from Mr. Uzumaki's part."

Naruto nodded and started to relay the information of what had happened.

"I was part of a team that was sent to retrieve my teammate. He had defected the village. In the end, it was only him against me. We tried to finish the battle with our strongest attacks." Naruto did a demonstration by creating a clone and molding a **Rasengan** in his palm. Dr. Reed look at the technique with a large pair of eyes, rapidly taking notes on his computer while still paying rapt attention to what the blonde shinobi was saying.

"Once our techniques met… it all changed. At first, I could only see light, but then I started to see more and more. I didn't know what they were then, but now I know that they were stars, planets, and galaxies. I was floating on space by myself at an incredible speed… then I crashed here," Naruto finished.

"That's quite a story," said Reed. "Tell me, is there a way you can recreate your opponent's attack?"

"The **Chidori**?" Naruto sighed. "I doubt it. It was a variation of Kakashi-sensei's technique. I don't even know any lightning jutsu. I can maybe try, but without any instruction from my sensei, I can't really go forward with shinobi techniques."

"This _chakra_ you mentioned. What is it?" questioned Reed.

"Hmmm…" Naruto tried to remember Iruka's lessons. "It's a combination of physical energy and spiritual energy. You need to mold them together in order to create a jutsu."

Dr. Reed concentrated on the information for just a moment before he laid out his hypothesis. "It is my belief that the combination of both of your techniques is what managed to bring you here. I cannot confirm this without evidence… and for that evidence I need to see the other technique." He gave a frustrated look towards Naruto. "I regret to inform you that without both of these elements – as well as the appropriate environment – I cannot recreate the phenomenon."

"So… I can't go back," Naruto said bluntly.

"Never underestimate the possibilities of science, Mr. Uzumaki. I will try to see if I can advance with your **Rasengan** alone. However – as much as it frustrates me – I will say that at times when conventional science and knowledge fails, the mystic arts can give an answer."

"Dr. Strange… I'll see if I can locate him." said Professor Xavier.

"I am sorry that I cannot give a satisfactory answer. For the time being, I suggest that you acclimate yourself to living here, Mr. Uzumaki," said Reed.

"I guess," Naruto grunted, looking at the floor, hands clenched in frustration.

"I've heard of your scholarly achievements," informed Reed. "I believe you have a great future ahead of you."

"Just a fluke," denied Naruto. "Back at home I was always the dead-last. I'm dumb, always have been. The only talent I have is fighting… I don't think that's gonna be much use to you."

"All of us have a different way of learning. The method that applies to one may not apply to the other. I believe that you have a great mind hidden inside you," assured Reed.

"You have a blank slate, kid. Many people wished they had an opportunity like that," interjected Logan.

"I just," Naruto sighed. "I need a minute outside."

"I understand. The Baxter Building is always open to you, Naruto," said Reed before he went back to tinker with the little device.

"I'll call you when we're ready to head back, Naruto. I need to speak some more with Dr. Richards," called the Professor. Naruto barely nodded before he took the elevator and went back to the ground floor, instantly walking outside while looking at the floor.

' _I can't go back? That's impossible! I need to go back! Ero-sennin and bā-chan are still out there, waiting for me! I promised Sakura I would bring back Sasuke. I promised everyone that I'd become the next Hokage?'_

The jinchūriki kicked a can of empty soda all the way to a nearby park, sitting on one of the benches. He soon found out that it was occupied by two older men. One of them was very familiar.

"Hey, kiddo!" he exclaimed the old man while he elbowed the other one. This one looked even older, with a big, fat cigar on one hand. With the other hand, he was drawing what Naruto had to admit was a pretty good illustration.

"Old man? Is that you?" Naruto asked, still surprise that he managed to find the same person as before in a city as big as this one.

"I sure am kiddo. What's happening? You seem little down."

Naruto did not know why he trusted this kindly old man with this information… but he told his plight. Everything, including the things he hadn't even mentioned to the Professor, or even Jean and Ororo.

"That's quite a pickle, young man," grumbled the man. "But… what about what you have now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you can be anything you want to be now! You are young and full of possibilities!"

"But I want to be Hokage," Naruto whined. "My first memories are of me wanting to be the Hokage."

"And why did you want that? To prove to your village that you were the best? Bah! I'm asking what you really wanted all this time," prodded the old man. "You must have something you want deep down."

Naruto thought back to Haku. "I guess… I want to be wanted. I want the whole world to see me and respect me… and to have enough strength to keep my most precious people safe. To know that I'm needed."

"And you can't find that here? Don't you have friends? Why can't you prove your worth here? Think about what _you_ want!"

The words made Naruto think. He thought of what he'd do today and tomorrow. He'd go back to the mansion to taste some of Jean's great food, bicker with Logan, train late after hours with Scott on the danger room, get to know Kurt better. He thought of helping Ororo with the garden and how a strange warmth spread all over his body when he stopped smelling the flowers and smelled her instead while looking dumbly at how beautiful she was.

He thought of school, of the promise he was showing among his peers and his teachers, imagined being something more than a failure at academics. His mind returned to Jean and that beautiful red hair and green eyes, how comfortable he felt when both their minds connected.

"I… guess… I guess I can try," Naruto muttered, standing up and already pumping his fists. "Thanks for the pep talk, old man."

"Take the world by storm kiddo… maybe not just this one!"

"I hope I can see you again, someday." The blonde started to walk back to the Baxter Building, already feeling the Professor probing his mind to return.

"Believe me, you will… Hey kid!" yelled the old man. Naruto turned back to see him pump his arm in the air again. "Excelsior!"

"Believe it, geezer!" he exclaimed before turning back and running towards the direction of the Professor.

"Teenage ninjas, Jack! Why didn't we ever think of that one?!" The cigar smoking man just grumbled and continued to draw. "Here's an idea – teenage pirates that can stretch and look for treasure! I can't imagine someone's gotten to that before!"

* * *

It had taken some time for Naruto to get comfortable enough with his chakra control to attempt a summoning. The **Kuchiyose no Jutsu** was by far the most demanding technique in his arsenal. The first time he had summoned Gamabunta had required the use of the fox's chakra. Even when he went against Gaara, the jinchūriki needed to borrow the toxically powerful red chakra from the Kyūbi.

He was taking no chances this time. He only needed to get a message through to _Ero-sennin._ At least to make Konoha aware of the fact that he was still alive and well!

Naruto reached a far part of the mansion grounds and started doing the now familiar hand seals. He modeled as much chakra as he could and concentrated on summoning the orange little toad he'd met before – Gamakichi.

Finally, he bit his thumb and slammed his palm on the floor. The blonde barely had time to process the feeling of his chakra being drained instantly before he passed out.

The mocking laugh of the Nine-Tailed Fox was the first thing to welcome Naruto as he woke up in the familiar, dank sewer.

"Ughh! What the hell?!" Naruto rubbed his head as he steadily tried to stand up, weakness evident in his entire body.

"Bahahaha! You fool!" jeered Kyūbi. "Even for someone as thick-headed as you, that was absolutely idiotic!"

"What happened? I just tried to summon Gamakichi," Naruto groaned.

"You bellend!" roared Kyūbi. "You tried to perform a space-time ninjutsu across the universe! Do you have any idea how that works? Oh, what am I thinking – of course not! _You're_ the old man's successor?! Bahahaha!

"What's wrong with trying to summon a small toad?"

Kyūbi almost sighed in desperation. "That was a space-time ninjutsu, gaki! Time… and _space_! Do you have any idea how fucking _far_ we are from Mount Myōboku? You need far more chakra than currently have! Even the old man would have difficulty summoning from that distance!"

Naruto still looked at the massive red fox dumbly.

" _This_ is what happens when people show advanced techniques to brats like you without explaining the theory!" snapped Kyūbi.

Naruto stood up and looked as threateningly as he could. "Well how do you expect me to learn more about chakra and ninjutsu when I don't have anyone to teach me?!"

"Not my problem, brat!" spat the fox.

"With your chakra, maybe we can do it!" Naruto suggested.

"Why should I bother with you? Besides, the old man wants you here for some reason or another."

Naruto was a breath away from pulling his hair out in frustration. "Then tell the old man to come back here and teach me!"

"You insolent punk! The old man will come when the old man decides to come! Your mental prowess is too weak to communicate with him!" growled the Biju. "Until then, keep your mouth shut!" The blue-eyed shinobi was about to speak again when he felt his consciousness returning.

"Naruto! Wake up!" It was Kurt's voice, apparently unaware that Naruto had actually fallen unconscious. "Dinner is going to get cold!"

' _Dinner! What the hell!'_ Apparently five hours had passed because looking at the sky, all he could see were the stars. Grumbling, he walked back to the mansion.

* * *

The first month of school passed by quickly. While he'd tried his best in terms of connecting with the average American high schooler, Naruto still kept to the rest of the Institute's students. Mainly with Kurt since the German mutant was in all of his classes – they were even both tardy on occasion.

He still did spend most of his time with Ororo and Jean, though that time was mostly limited to breaks and lunchtime when it came to school. The Institute was the same as always. Logan had been pushing them harder and harder now that Kurt had joined the team.

"What do you think of Nightcrawler?" the teleporter asked one day after a session in the Danger Room.

"Nightcrawler?"

"Yes, my secret name. Everybody's got one now. Cyclops, Wolverine, Storm, Marvel Girl… though I don't know what Jean was thinking with that one."

"Don't," Naruto warned, whispering. "Don't let her hear you."

"Sorry. But what do you think about it?"

He thought for a moment. "It sounds nice."

"I thought so," Kurt stated satisfactorily. "You're gonna need to choose as well, if you want to protect your identity."

"I guess. I'm used to having my name out there. Nobody keeps a secret identity back home," said Naruto. "I gotta take a bath and get some dinner. See you in a couple of hours."

When he did get to the kitchen, he noticed that it was surprisingly quiet. Granted, he was usually the loudest of the bunch, but he expected a little chatter and someone reprimanding Kurt for teleporting around the place.

"Surprise!" came the combined loud voices of the mansion's inhabitants… most of them at least. Scott and Logan grunted it lowly.

"Huh?" Naruto was a little surprised to see them all surrounding a cake with two big candles on top of it. Combined they made the number fourteen.

"Happy birthday, Naruto!" congratulated Jean. "Is there… something wrong."

There was nothing wrong… nothing wrong about it all. Smiling, he did his best to resist the tears of joy that were threatening to spill.

"No… it's just. I'm an orphan. This is the first time I've had people celebrate it." He tried to put the best way possible. "The tenth of October is not a day for celebration in Konoha."

"Well then, we'll always be happy to celebrate it with you," assured Jean. "Make a wish!"

Naruto did not know at first what to wish for. A few weeks back his desire was simply to get back home. Before that it would have been to become Hokage. Now? Looking at Jean's sweet smile and Ororo's small one – not to mention the rest of the gathered X-Men (he could even see a barely noticeable smirk from Logan) – he had a lot more difficulty coming up with something that he truly wanted.

' _I want… I want to have all those I care about with me, all at the same.'_ He blew the candles and heard the cheers with a smile.

The food was even better than usual. The Professor had clearly spared no expense in getting the best quality ingredients for the dishes. It was an unusual yet tasty combination of American and Japanese food.

"What are you thinking about?" questioned Ororo when he'd gone outside for a moment to look at the stars.

"Just looking," Naruto stated trying to look at every single one he could count. "You know… one of those stars could be my sun."

"It could," Ororo affirmed. "Does it look that much different from this sun?"

"Not really."

"Is your planet so different that you want to return so quickly?" Ororo continued to prod.

"It's very similar when it really comes down to it," Naruto admitted. "But it's my home… I can't just leave it and forget."

"I left my home too, you know." He turned over to look at Ororo, his heart leaping when he saw just how beautiful that chocolate skin reflected upon the full moon. The white hair turned almost silver and the clear, blue eyes twinkled brighter than the biggest star in the night sky.

"Did you? Why?"

Ororo looked down a for a moment. "Because there was little there for me. My parents died when I was young and I got mixed up with some bad people… I left them… with some help." Despite being stricken by her beauty, Naruto was still paying attention to every word. "I travelled along the desert, finally stopping upon a small tribe. I gave them water and they hailed me as a goddess. I lived with them for a few months before the Professor offered me a place here."

"Why did you take it?"

The white-haired mutant sighed. "I don't know at first. I was just curious about coming back to America… this is the country where I was born, after all. But then I met Jean and Scott. Logan… and you, of course."

"You never think about going back?" questioned Naruto.

"I do at times. When I go to sleep… but that goes away when I wake up and see the Institute."

"Why?"

Ororo's smile was the biggest he'd ever seen since he met her. Pearly white teeth shined in the moonlight, almost as white as her hair. She embraced him warmly, her chest beating against his. He instantly smelled the fragrance of nature and his heart thumped even harder.

"Because I realized that my home is with you. With the people I care about the most. The people that care about me and not about Storm. The people that care about Ororo." She kept on the hug. "I remember when I saw you – all bloodied up and close to death… a horrible hole so close to your heart. I still ask myself – why would you want to return to a place like that?"

He didn't even respond as she parted from him and went back inside. He just looked as she helped Jean pick up the plates with a smile. Naruto's gaze turned back to the stars, trying to find the place he had left off in vain.

' _People that care about Naruto… huh…'_

He looked back at Jean. Sweet, beautiful Jean.

' _But… will they care if… if they know what's inside me?'_

* * *

The summoning had been a disaster, not only because Naruto had failed to get even Gamakichi, but also because it meant that he had no other recourse to get into contact with Konoha. Not being able to get even the smallest word of his survival or location meant one thing. One thing that had been present ever since Reed Richards had asked for a recreation of the **Chidori**.

He had no way of learning more ninjutsu.

Naruto was internally cursing his decision to not pay more attention to the Shinobi library or Iruka's lectures. If he had more information of the inner workings of chakra and the ninja arts, he could at least try to get one with it with that information. Alas, all he had were his few and trusty techniques.

The shinobi was aware of the… additional talents he'd received when he got to Earth, but they were still mostly a mystery to him. Despite the coolness of being able to move things with his mind, it was utterly useless in combat when he had so little practice. Even Jean had trouble with it once in a while, and she'd been doing this for some years now. The simple fact is, Naruto needed more than just practice, he needed experience in order to elevate those abilities further.

When it came down to it, there was not better practice than real combat.

The outfit he had chosen was all black. While before he had gotten used to wearing his orange jumpsuit because he wanted the attention. It almost did not matter back in Konoha since stealth was not his strong suit.

Here? Well the fact that he needed to remained anonymous and protect his identity instead of flaunting meant he needed to be a little subtler in his choice of clothes.

It was the best he had done with the small budget available. The first thing to go in was the black t-shirt followed by a rough looking, second-hand denim vest. To cover it all up was a long coat, also black. For the lower part of his outfit, he'd gone with combat style black pants, rough yet flexible enough to allow movement. To cap it all off was the most expensive part of the entire ensemble – black combat boots.

Naruto had floated around the idea of getting a few clones to work some odd jobs around Westchester and New York. He would definitely need the money if just buying this hastily put together outfit cost that much.

In order to protect his identity, he sewed a thin fabric that would cover his lower face. Looking at the mirror, it was very similar to Kakashi's facemask.

Taking a deep breath, he _shunshin'd_ out of the mansion and started to jump towards the city. He knew the road by now and with his advanced speed managed to reach it even farther than he expected. Now it was time to survey and find people in need.

It started easy at first. Knocking out a few muggers and crooks. For Naruto, they were as easy to take out as a normal civilian, even when they were armed. By comparison, non-shinobi thugs back at home seemed to have more experienced fighting than your average Earth hoodlum.

It started to get harder when he started sneaking by the more equipped criminals. Most were armed with small weapons – nine-millimeter pistols and .38 revolvers. In one instance, there was one that had a short shotgun.

' _C'mon… concentrate,'_ he looked at three thugs, all armed, and focused his mind on all three guns at the same time. With strong pull, he managed to throw away the weapons to the sky. Before the drug dealers had time to react, Naruto jumped them and dealt with them swiftly.

"This is getting to be too easy," the shinobi murmured as he tied all three criminals to one a lamppost and called the police from a payphone once again, like he'd been doing all night.

"C'mon!" Naruto whined, perched on top of a building as he surveyed the area with his Sharingan, trying to pick up unusual activity by monitoring their chakra.

It was odd to find out that the humans on Earth actually had chakra, even if they couldn't mold it. They had very small reserves, too. Just like the civilians back at home who could not mold their meager reserves and had no ability to use ninjutsu.

Finally, he concentrated on one area. It was a huge meeting of chakra. Naruto jumped over to the dark alleyway near the docks. Stealthily, he climbed to one of the warehouses to see what the meeting was about, as well as to get a better idea what he was dealing with.

He counted seven men, all of them armed with guns. One of them even had an assault rifle. They looked older than the average hoodlums he'd been dealing with all night, too. This must be the head of the local drug operation.

Naruto thought about how to approach it without getting hit. He thought about using his mind to disarm the thugs again, but discarded it. He managed barely managed to do it with three and wasn't sure he'd be able to do the same with seven at the same time.

' _Looks like it's good old_ _ **Kage Bunshin**_ _.'_ With a smirk, he crossed his fingers. Twenty poofs later, and there were now twenty-one identical Naruto's all together and ready to swarm the enemies simultaneously before they had a chance to react.

One small problem. Apparently, poofs are _loud_.

"What the hell was that!" yelled one of the thugs and immediately looked up to see what was on the rooftop. Even with his new, dark attire, the many Narutos stood out in the bright moonlight. The gunman immediately aimed and took a few shots. Even with the spray and pray aim, two clones poofed out of existence, leaving only thick smoke behind.

Naruto saw the supposed leader (the one with the assault rifle) turn around to see the commotion and take aim directly at him. The others did the same as soon as they heard the loud cracks of the guns. He immediately jumped out of the danger zone and ordered the rest of the clones to separate.

The jinchūriki immediately jumped at the first thug, seeing that the gun was now empty. One overhead kick later and the thug was down with a broken jaw. He heard two more clones get destroyed before he sneaked behind the next opponent. A blow behind the head and he dropped to the ground as well.

The dispelling of the clones had an effect not even Naruto had thought of before. The thick smoke was slow to dissipate, and the battlefield lost much visibility much to the drug dealers' disadvantage.

It'd be a disadvantage to him too if it wasn't for the Sharingan, but even with the non-matured eyes, the chakra signatures were clear as a white on black.

"What the fuck are these guys?!" yelled one of the remaining gunmen. "They just turn to smoke!"

"Just keep shooting!"

Naruto smirked again. " **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"** More clones soon joined the fray and after so many shots the docks were completely covered in smoke. He could see the men puffing, trying to see the best they could in the immense fog they had unwittingly created.

They were easy pickings.

He delivered a punch to the first. Right in the nose and hard enough to make the hoodlum drop lifelessly on the ground immediately. The second was very close, a kick to the back of the head and he was out.

' _Three left,'_ The next one was crouched down in a corner, nervously pointing his gun everywhere and trying his best to breathe normally. Naruto grabbed a pipe and decked him right in the temple. _'Two.'_ Unfortunately, the two that were left were apparently the better trained of the lot. They took positions back to back and one of them had an assault rifle, compensating by trying to increase their visual range with two pairs of eyes.

They'd never gone against a shinobi though. They had one blind spot.

Naruto jumped in the air and dropped down on the two. The back of his boots hit their temple and both dropped bonelessly on the wet concrete, their weapons falling from their hands.

The shinobi took a deep breath and surveyed the area, turning off his eyes and quickly trying to find something to bind the thugs effectively enough. He found some heavy-duty chains used for bigger boats and started to collect the bodies when he heard deafeningly loud clicking sound at his back.

Naruto instinctively let go of the chains and dove just in time to avoid a bullet that would have perforated his head. He was hidden behind a container but felt the vibrations of projectiles as the remaining thug emptied his clip.

"You fucking freak! Show yourself!"

The blonde was about to do just that once he heard the telltale clicking of the empty gun when the taunts were replaced by grunts and some mysterious… sticky sound.

"Ooooh, even I felt that one!" snarked a mysterious voice. "Blondie really did a number on you, fellas! Boy, I would _not_ want to be you!"

Naruto stepped from the other side of the container in order to see another costumed man, this one wore what seemed to be a slightly more elaborate one with a red and blue hoodie. The figure even had a full-face mask that hid his identity. On his chest, was the symbol of a black spider.

"Hey, the blondie shows himself!" The red and blue clad figure kicked the chains Naruto had dropped. "The old chains and lamppost? Pshh! Am-a-teur!" From his wrists, some sort of rope started to spew out until it covered the thugs, pinning them to the ground.

"Who are you?" asked Naruto, turning his eyes red again.

"You mean you don't know about me?! That hurts! I'm the one and only – your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man… don't forget the hyphen! Who are you, unknown multiplying man?!"

Naruto thought about it for a moment. It couldn't be the Shadow – Jean, Ororo, and Logan would pick that right up after he told them of the Kage – he didn't want a Japanese name either, that would be dead giveaway. He finally came up with a name.

"Hello, are you mute?" cajoled Spider-Man. "Oh… sorry! Politically correct, politically correct… erm… orally impaired? No! That sounded dirty!"

Naruto sighed. "Call, me Maelstrom."

 **AN: So, I've gone back and done a few changes to the first chapters. One of those is Ororo's attitude to clothes. Looking back, I think I let the TV shows (especially Evolution) influence the more no-nonsense portrayal, rather than the comic book (younger) version of Storm. Reading back on the Claremont era, it's pretty obvious that it needed to change. She's still a teen here, after all.**

 **Made some slight adjustments too. Hell, I might return to rewrite a few things at a later date.**

 **We also get Kurt Wagner, for all you Nightcrawler fans. Spidey too, but who cares about him, amirite?**

 **Maelstrom… cliché I know, but I think it's fine.**

 **Thanks for reading, and please leave a review.**

 **If you want to get into direct contact with me, come to my Discord, link in profile**

 **Until next time. Excelsior!**

 **The Metal Sage.**


	6. Pretty Kitty

**Naruto and Marvel belong to Masashi Kishimoto and Disney respectively.**

 **AN: Special thanks to Meneldur for helping to beta the story and giving me plenty of ideas.**

 **Chapter VI: Pretty Kitty**

"…ruto…"

Naruto groaned on his pillow, every single sense in a sleepy haze; not really knowing if he was asleep or awake. Too exhausted to even realize what was going on he kept his eyes closed, hoping that his dreams would take him away again while his body rested from beating dozens of miscreants the previous night.

"Naruto!"

"Wha-Whazzat?" grumbled the blonde, finally opening his eyes to see a slightly exasperated looking Jean Grey standing beside his bed.

"How long have you been sleeping? It's past noon!" exclaimed the redhead.

"It's Sunday, Jean-chan," whined Naruto, now looking at the older telepath. She looked as pretty as she always was, even now that she was clearly frustrated.

Jean huffed before going over to the curtains and quickly opened them, letting in the bright rays of sunlight. The sight made Naruto wince, eyes burning even when he closed them. "Jean-chan!" he complained.

"You already missed breakfast. We're about to have lunch, and I don't want the food we made for you go to waste again. You already eat five times what we all eat."

Naruto felt a little guilty, he knew the extent that everyone would go through to feed his more… expanded appetite. Besides, the mention of lunch made him wake up fully. "Alright, Jean-chan. Just give me a moment to change."

Jean smiled and nodded before she left the room and as soon as Naruto heard the door closing, he went over to the closet and started to rummage for something to wear but not without first cursing silently at the fact that the had left his "nightly" outfit so in the open and promptly hiding it in the back. He'd have to find a better solution to keep it from prying eyes.

As changed from his sleepwear, he started to think back at why exactly he was waking up so late.

* * *

 **The previous night**

"You really should make a better effort of hiding your identity," recommended Spiderman. He had pulled the lower part of his facemask to make room for the large sandwich he was devouring with gusto. "You won't be hiding your identity too long with blonde hair and blue eyes – this isn't Scandinavia."

Naruto made a muffled grunt; too busy cramming his own sandwich below the facemask and into his mouth.

Even if it made the guy look a little ridiculous, it made sense why Spiderman would use the hoodie and completely cover his face. The goggles also made sure the eye color wasn't noticed by any onlooker. The only way anyone would recognize the red and blue clad figure is by his voice. Given the height and tone, Naruto was pretty sure that Spiderman was just around his age.

"You must be a great authority as to where they buy discount hoodies and opaque goggles then, Spiderkid?" asked Naruto.

"Spider- _Man_!"

"You sound like you're fifteen!"

"So do you!"

"You talk about maintaining your secret identity and yet you don't shut up!" Naruto pointed an accusatory finger at Spiderman.

"Look at the pot calling the kettle black!" Spiderman pointed back.

They both stood up looking at each other for a few seconds before Naruto broke the silence. "You're taking the east sector this time."

"What?! I took it last time!"

"Then you should be more familiar with it, Spiderkid!" Naruto mocked.

"I thought we agreed we'd split this evenly, ninja dude!" Spiderman retorted.

"It's not like it matters. It's been a week since we started this and crime seems to have gone down," Naruto pointed out. "Why do we only patrol Queens again? This is only a small part of the city; the safest part of it in fact."

Spiderman sighed. "You don't know how this works, do you? We're not the only costumed, powered-up weirdos running around beating miscreants. Bronx is covered by someone else; Hell's Kitchen is done by another, and so on and so forth."

"We can't go over to the other areas? What kind of stupid rule is that?" questioned Naruto, turning on his Sharingan and doing his best to see the area below the thirty-story building both he and Spiderman were perched on.

"You wanna go over to Hell's Kitchen?" responded Spiderman. "Go ahead then, I'm already losing a lot of sleep as it is. I have school, y'know."

"Why do this then?" asked Naruto.

For once, Spiderman seemed to get visibly tense. Naruto had really only seen that reactions when the red and blue clad crimefighter was in action. The anonymous teen took a deep breath and sighed before looking at his hands and slowly made fists.

"I didn't always do this stuff," revealed Spiderman. "I was pretty selfish when I first got my powers… then something happened… and I learned a valuable lesson: with great power comes great responsibility."

Naruto nodded. He did not know what happened for Spiderman to learn such a lesson, but his experience told him it was related to death. The blonde had never forgotten the words Haku said before the ice-user had sacrificed himself. Nor had he forgotten Zabuza's conviction, or the Old Man's.

"What about you?" asked Spiderman, interrupting Naruto's thoughts. "Why are you fighting?"

"Because it's the right thing to do," answered Naruto.

"Really? That's it? No tragic backstory? Not even a bad guy stealing your sweet roll when you were a kid and mourning that loss every single day?"

"Let's just say I'm a really good guy," responded Naruto before giving one of Kakashi's patented eye-smiles and a thumbs up. "Anyways, getting anything on the police station?"

Spiderman picked up the radio and started to browse through it but found nothing. It was strange, seeing such little activity in a city that seemed to almost always be buzzing with activity – criminal or otherwise – but he'd apparently been told of the reasons for the recent ramp-up in police activity.

"The government has been in constant vigilance since the towers got knocked out last year," Spiderman had told him. "Even when it was done by foreign terrorists, the police seem adamant to appear tougher on crime. Politicians never let a tragedy go to waste."

"Wouldn't that make our job easier?"

"Oh, hell no. They only really got rid of the small-time hoods peddling homegrown drugs and those doing petty theft, but the big guys are more established than ever, so the little crime we're getting more than makes up for it in severity."

"In my hometown, corruption is punished with imprisonment or death," responded Naruto. The Hokage was very adamant about treating those that commit treason against the village. Sasuke was the only exception he knew of.

"Harsh, ninja dude." Spiderman continued to tinker with the radio but it started to go to public broadcasts. He was about to change it back but a special announcement made him stop.

"Breaking news!" said the radio jockey. "Associated Press just announced that the one and only Tony Stark – previously thought dead following an ambushed after a presentation in Afghanistan – has just been found, apparently healthy and whole… I'm sure there's a few ladies out there that'll be interested in the latter," he joked. "Mr. Stark is expected to give a press release tomorrow about the future of Stark Industries. No further comment was made."

"Oh, hell yeah!" exclaimed Spiderman. "That's awesome news! Nothing beats Stark products. Even their old tech is better than what most companies attempt today."

Naruto did not comment. Truthfully, he was still trying to learn about all the technology this place had to offer. He really could not differentiate between old or new tech quite so easily as of now. Though, if somebody who knew his tech stuff like Spiderman told him that Stark was the best, then it probably was.

"I wonder what he's going to announce," mused Spiderman, seemingly forgetting that he was supposed to be searching for. "I really wish he'd develop more stuff for the civilian market, but," he sighed, "I guess the military is where the big bucks are."

"The military is there to keep the people safe. It makes sense why they'd get the most money," said Naruto. Most of the village funds were given to the shinobi force back in Konoha after they completed missions. It was an understood agreement that civilians would pay their taxes to keep their safety.

Spiderman chuckled. "Who would've guessed that a masked vigilante that operates outside the law would be so much in favor of authority."

"I'm only masked to protect my identity," defended Naruto. Truthfully, he was pretty uncomfortable in not showing his face. Showing off was part of the whole fighter appeal, but it was more important to maintain secrets right now.

"Doing a bang-up job at that, ninja dude."

"I told you, my codename is Maelstrom! Get it right, Spiderkid!"

"Spider _man_!"

Naruto grumbled but looked at his watch quickly to realize that it was getting pretty darn late. "No reports, then. One last sweep across Queens and then I'm heading back home. I live outside the city –"

" _Buzzz!_ Nope! Don't say any more, ninja dude," yelled Spiderman. "Don't say anything that might reveal your location. Better to have your everyone think you live _inside_ the city." He stood silent for a moment but Naruto could almost have seen the eyes widen behind the goggles. "Wait! _Outside_ the city?! You mean you've been coming all these nights from _upstate_?! How the hell do you do that during rush hour?!"

Naruto finished eating the last of the sandwich before standing up and leaning over the edge of the tall building. "I'm awesome," he said, mustering about as much coolness as he could into the phrase before jumping off the precipice.

"Next time, you take the east side!" came the indignant voice of Spiderman.

* * *

 **Present**

Naruto grumbled as he remembered yesterday. It wouldn't be such a pain to go out on his little nightly escapades if the damn city wasn't an hour away at his highest speed. Add another hour to return and the fact that he had to use chakra on top of the action and the end result was a very tired jinchūriki.

' _I can't go out every night like Spiderman does and keep up with my studies at the same time. I also need to make sure the others are not suspecting anything.'_ He was already failing the latter if Jean's questions were any indication.

It got even worse when he went down to eat.

"You skipped breakfast," the Professor stated plainly. "Are you feeling well?" There was a hint of… _something_ in his voice. As earnest as he tried to be, Naruto always thought that Professor Xavier always knew more than he let on.

"I'm alright. Just very tired – studying for the midterms is hard." Besides him, Kurt nodded in agreement and Scott shrugged and continued to eat. Everyone else looked unconvinced, especially Logan.

"It is good that you are taking your studies seriously… and far be it for me to tell you what you can and cannot do during your free time. I just hope you take care to not harm yourself," said the Professor.

Naruto grinned before picking up food from the table center. As always, his portions dwarfed those around him. The others seemed to have taken the theory that his alien body consumed a lot more calories than human ones. He didn't have the courage to tell them that even back in Konoha his food consumption rivaled even those of the Akimichi clan.

"Next semester is starting after the exams," Jean said specifically to him. "Have you considered the extracurricular activities?"

"I don't know if that's a good idea, Jean-chan. I have an advantage physically and I don't want to hurt anyone," said Naruto. _'Ok, maybe Duncan is fair game.'_

"Who said anything about sports?" asked Jean with a smirk. "I mean I joined one for fitness but you have that covered. Think of something that will help you improve. There's a science club, math club, arts. You could even join student council. Many colleges are looking for leaders."

Naruto thought about it long and hard as they ate. It wasn't until he was almost finished with his meal that realization hit. He was thinking of it like he was in here for the long term; the notion of returning home was completely forgotten, quite unlike the way it had dominated him the previous months.

"Hey! Put on the news!" Kurt suddenly piped in, signaling towards the television. "Tony Stark is about to give his press conference."

Logan grunted but conceded to the request. "I can't quite believe a pampered rich boy managed to escape the Taliban all by himself."

Any further discussion was silenced as the TV showed a slightly scarred dark-haired man eating a cheeseburger. It seemed kind of unprofessional compared to some of the other people Naruto had seen in television, but from what he'd heard of Tony Stark, it was pretty natural. The ambience became even more carefree when the multi-billionaire sat down below the podium.

"You know," said Tony Stark, still chewing on the burger. "I never got to say goodbye to my father. Thinking back on it now, there's questions I would have asked him. I would have asked him how he felt about what his company did… if he was conflicted, if he ever had doubts. Or maybe he was every inch of a man we all remember from the old newsreels."

Naruto did not expect such sobering attitude from the man who had been characterized America's foremost playboy by everyone he knew. Tony Stark's eyes were plagued by the same look he saw on Team Seven's face after their mission in wave.

"I… saw… young Americans killed," continued Stark. "Killed by the very weapons I created to defend them and protect them… and I saw that I had become part of a system that is comfortable with zero accountability."

Everyone at the table was silent. Ororo, who had never missed the opportunity to speak negatively about Stark's weapons, hardened her jaw. Logan's gaze was even more intense than it usually was, and the excited smile on Kurt's face had vanished, replaced by stone-cold seriousness.

"What happened over there?" asked one of the journalists.

"I had my eyes opened," Stark said, a little more upbeat as he stood up and walked to the podium. "I realized I had more to offer this world than just making things _blow up_." He took a deep breath and looked directly at the cameras. "And that's why, effective immediately, I'm shutting down the weapons manufacturing division of Stark International –"

Tony Stark was interrupted by a flurry of questions thrown by all the reporters but he ignored them, completing his statement with, " – until such a time, as I can decide what the future of this company will be, what direction it should take, the one I'm comfortable with, and is consistent with the highest good of this country… and the world!"

The screen turned back to the news anchors who were now discussing the shocking announcement amongst themselves, but their comments were quickly ignored by everyone.

"God damn!" exclaimed Scott. "He's getting rid of the weapons?! That's their biggest market!"

"It's money payed with blood," stated Ororo. Naruto could see that she could barely hide her pearly white smile contained. "I think I may give up my Stark boycott now that I don't have to feel guilty about giving him money."

Naruto did not really understand much of the fuss around weaponry. The better one's nation military was, the better it would be to defend them, right? At least that's the way it would be in Konoha; they invested a lot on the R&D weapons divisions. It seemed to strike hard against Ororo, though, so he kept his mouth shut.

"I think I will try to go for all of them," he told Jean later that day.

"Huh?"

"All of them. Science club, physics, music, and art… all of them," clarified Naruto.

"That's way too much, Naruto. You only have a limited amount that you can do with free time… and we have to keep up with the training, remember?" responded Jean. "Why so interested in everything all of the sudden?"

"I've been seeing all these months," started Naruto, looking into Jean's eyes. "Back home you only needed to think about one career path with some fundamental skills. That's not at all in here." He bit his lip. "Tony Stark, Reed Richards… all these great people have so many skills and it seems the more of them you have the better you are in the end."

"It still doesn't mean you have enough _time_."

Naruto chuckled. "You underestimate me, Jean-chan," he said before summoning around ten clones. "I can learn much faster with these."

"Alright then," responded Jean.

Naruto nodded. "Now I need to go and train with the Xavier-sensei. It's starting to get a lot harder to control all this stuff."

"It's alright, Naruto. You're starting to get to the point where it'll become… complicated. Feel free to ask me any tips, as always," responded Jean with a sympathetic smile.

"Telekinesis training tomorrow?"

"You bet!"

Wasting no time, Naruto used _shunshin_ to transport himself right outside the Professor's office. Before he had a chance to knock on the door, he could hear a voice piercing into his mind. _"Come in."_

Naruto opened the door and saw the Professor sitting in front of what looked like a small, yet very complex maze. The Professor gave him a nod and signaled towards the opposite end of the table where the puzzle was located.

" _Good afternoon,"_ transmitted the Professor. _"The last few sessions have been going well. For now, I would ask that we communicate with our minds – it'll make it easier for you to get used to given your growth."_

" _Gotcha,"_ responded Naruto. Talking mentally was not as much trouble now, especially compared to the non-psychic members of the team; they still needed to concentrate a hell of lot more than him and Jean. Plus, they were not actually able to initiate it. _"What are we doing today?"_

" _Well, I thought since you're already used to mental links in terms of communicating words. We'd practice with something a little more concrete… images, in other words."_ The Professor put his palm over his temple.

Naruto closed his eyes and an image that was so familiar yet so different came to him. It took him a while to realize that it was the Institute, yet aside from the basic structure, most of it was different, like it was a picture form the past.

" _That was the Mansion fifteen years ago, before I started remodeling it. Before Logan, Ororo, Scott, Jean, and even you came to live here. It's a picture from the past – recalled from my memories,"_ explained the Professor.

" _Weird, but okay,"_ responded Naruto. _"So you can share memories like this?"_

" _Yes, or you can share what you are seeing. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Now I want you to try and do a little exercise for me. Show me something."_

Naruto got a little frantic, getting very personal about his memories, especially considering the fact that he had not revealed to anyone that he had a giant chakra monster sealed inside him.

" _It doesn't have to be very personal,"_ assured the Professor

He tried to think about the most significant one _after_ he had arrived here and unwittingly ended up sending the one in which Ororo had hugged him after his birthday.

" _Interesting. It's nice to know that you're developing deep friendships with the others here."_ Naruto could almost swear there was a hint of mirth in the Professor's tone but kept quiet about it.

" _That's good, but I wish to know if I can push you a little bit further today? I feel we're beginning to truly scratch your potential now."_

Naruto nodded enthusiastically. Every bit of training was important to communicate with the old man with the ringed eyes. _"Hell yeah!"_

The Professor rummaged below the table and grabbed a cage. Inside, there was a small white gerbil. _"This is an exercise I taught to Jean when she first came here. The maze before you might not be that much difficult to our advanced cognitive abilities, along with the fact that we can see it from above,"_ explained the Professor as he set the rodent inside the maze. _"But our little friend here will take quite a while to get out. With your guidance, he might have a better chance."_

During the next two hours, Naruto tried his best to send the mental images to the rodent, eventually guiding it with difficulty through the right turns until it managed to get to the end. It was a lot harder than he thought it'd be, and he was pretty tired near the end.

"Excellent work," praised the Professor, switching back to speaking verbally. "I must admit that I did not think you were going to be able to complete it in your first session. Your powers are certainly growing – it confirms my assumptions about you."

"Assumptions? What assumptions?" asked Naruto while sitting down on the chair. He never thought two hours of mental labor would leave him in a state similar to the kunai and tree training.

"About your potential. With the correct training you may be a candidate for the Omega level classification."

"Omega? Classifications? What do you mean?"

The Professor seemed to get out of his trance. "Do forgive me. I have not explained the classifications to you." He cleared his voice. "You might have figured out by now that not all mutants are the same. Like all human evolution, the changes vary… and that means that sometimes you will get very different results. Thus, I decided to create a classification for the many types."

"Let's start with the Betas. These are mutants that cannot keep their gifts in check, but are otherwise able to pass off as normal _homo sapiens_. Think about Scott and how he needs to maintain his eyes in those ruby-quartz glasses. There's also Logan with his powers that have changed his appearance lightly."

"There's the Alpha classification. These are mutants that are almost indistinguishable from humans. You, Ororo, and Jean fit this bill. Not to mention that your powers are very useful in combat situations."

"But don't I have a different body than you guys?" asked Naruto. "What about my birth marks?"

"Those are not related to mutation, as far as I'm aware. As for your body, it is quite normal compared to the rest of your kind, is it not? We have the same organs, tissues, muscles, and so forth, correct? Logan… well, it is not my place to discuss about what happened to him."

"Alright, so what's next?"

"Gamma class. Their powers are handy… but as a result of their mutation, these cannot pass as humans. Think of Kurt – the only reason he's able to pass off as human is due to that device that Reed Richards was gracious enough to build for him."

"There's the Delta class, who are very hard to come across by since their powers are subtle compared to the rest. Most of them don't even know that they're mutants but their gifts can be quite useful, such as extreme heightened intelligence as an example. Until now, I have only met one Delta class mutant, he went by the name of Forge – a genius in machinery."

"Epsilons are… a special case. Like Gamma class mutants they cannot hide their mutation… but they do not have powers aside from physical evidence that they are not humans."

' _That would really suck. No powers_ and _being an outcast?'_ Naruto remembered what Iruka had said once: "As bad as you think your situation may be, there are others that would love to be in your shoes."

"Finally, there are the mutants that fit into Omega-class." The Professor took a deep breath. "These are the most powerful of us all. So powerful that they are even capable of ending all life on our planet."

Naruto's eyes widened, and dared to ask a question. "Are you Omega class, sensei?"

The Professor nodded slowly. "Yes. Despite my physical limitation, my mind is able to end more life than the most powerful nuclear weapon. You see why it's imperative that you and Jean are trained to the utmost of your ability… and the importance that you use your powers responsibly?"

Naruto nodded. "We're lucky that you're the only Omega level, then."

Shaking his head, the Professor started to move his chair back to the main desk. "No, there's another. You met him the day you arrived… Magneto."

"Oh yeah… the metal controlling dude. That's his name?"

The Professor nodded. "Jean, Scott, and Kurt do not yet know of his existence, but I'm sure Magneto will try and recruit all of you sooner or later. He already did it with you that day."

"I'm not joining him," said Naruto. "Don't feel like being an outlaw… besides, there's no Jean or Ororo on his team!"

Chuckling, the Professor grabbed a few papers from his desk. "Go and rest. We have done a lot progress today."

Naruto nodded and went back to his room, nearly collapsing from the exertion.

Crime fighting, sleepless nights, and villains with corny names. Well, at least there was no Akatsuki going after him now, so that's a plus!

* * *

Naruto watched in satisfaction as his clones finished picking out all of the dry leaves from the mansion driveway. It was clearly autumn – sweater weather according to Jean – and every day it seemed as though the roads were inundated with more and more fallen leaves from the trees.

"Hnn," Logan grunted from Naruto's side as he looked on at the clear pavement, a cold beer in his hand. "Those clones of yours are actually useful for something aside from annoying the hell outta me, brat."

"They're a lot more useful than you think, Claws."

Logan grunted, taking a long swig of his alcoholic drink. "Chuck has asked to see you, brat. He's waiting for you in his office."

"More training?" asked Naruto.

"No. You'll see when you get there."

Naruto was a little annoyed at the non-answer but still dispelled all his clones and went back inside the manor.

Kurt had gone to town, apparently to stuff his face again on one of those "burger bombs" he'd gotten addicted to. Scott had gone out even earlier outside Bayville county and into North Salem proper in order to finalize his driver's test. He'd been pretty ecstatic about it, to the point of already buying a car.

The lack of the two other male mutants meant that the only students left in the mansion were Jean and Ororo, the latter of which was calmly reading a book while sitting on a chair near the entrance.

"Ororo?"

She gazed from her text and gave a quick smile. "The Professor is waiting for you. He's going to give you an assignment."

"An assignment?!" Naruto couldn't help but be excited at the idea, much like he had been during the missions of Team Seven.

A little more excited now, he hurried over to Professor Xavier's office and before he knocked the door, he remembered the instructions. _"I am here, sensei."_

" _You may enter,"_ came the Professor's voice, and Naruto did just that.

The leader of the X-Men was seated behind his desk as usual; on one of the seats was Jean Grey. Both of them looked like they'd been expecting him.

"Ah, Naruto. You're finally here," said the Professor before nodding to the seat besides Jean. "Please, have a seat."

"What's this about?" asked Naruto. "Are we finally going out there for a real mission?! Beat up some weirdos?!"

"Naruto!" reprimanded Jean.

"Not quite," responded Professor Xavier. "I do not wish for any physical violence unless it is strictly necessary." Jean nodded sagely at this.

"Then… what is it? I'm not much use except for fighting," said Naruto.

"We found a new, young mutant," The Professor revealed before a screen at his left flashed with the available information. "We identified the location in Deerfield, Illinois – a small town near Chicago – she's female; around your age, Naruto."

"Good!" chirped Jean. "We need more of that female touch around here. Ororo and I are already having so much trouble keeping all of the others in line."

Naruto was simply interested in the fact that there would hopefully be another person to join them. He wondered what kind of power this new mutant would have. Would it be some teleportation abilities like Kurt? Maybe some telekinetic powers just like him and Jean?

Hell, maybe they could get another telepath.

"I want both of you to come with me to help recruit her," declared Professor Xavier

Jean gave the Professor an odd look. "Why me, Professor?"

"You're the best student I have, Jean. The best example we could show to this new mutant's parents about what our institute has to offer."

Naruto raised his hand. "What about me, then?"

"You're a good student, too. I've come to realize that you have a certain… way with people," stated the Professor.

Naruto crossed his arms. "That's it?"

"I think you'd make a better impression than all of the male students. Kurt is too careless at times. Scott is driven… too driven and eager to use his powers. Logan is… Logan." Justified the Professor. "Besides, there's another signal we caught up in the same town. A male."

"I agree with the Professor. I'd prefer it if I went with you," said Jean.

"Very well," announced the Professor. "Get ready and meet me in the Blackbird in thirty minutes."

"Alright!" exclaimed Naruto before doing a Tiger seal and disappearing, leaving behind only a poof of smoke. He reappeared inside his room and immediately started to prepare. The first thing he put on was civilian garb; the new recruit's parents would probably not take well to their training gear but he still took it anyways. It's best to always be prepared for any situation.

Once he was done, Naruto made another Tiger seal and made a quick stop to the kitchen to steal one of the giant sandwiches before going down to the hangar. The Professor was already there but Jean was still missing.

"Naruto, please help me inside – I think it's time for you to start learning a little about flying the Blackbird," said Professor Xavier, his wheelchair already going up the ramp and into the plane.

"Yes!" Naruto exclaimed giddily. Flying the Blackbird was something that he wanted to learn but Logan guarded it like a dragon most of the time, scared that one of them might wreck it.

Whoever had designed the high-tech jet seemed to have known that some young people might pilot it, or at least there would be difficulty controlling it for the inexperienced. Similar to a tricycle, the Blackbird had a training phase that gave less control the driver while he or she got used to the operating it.

"You will not fly this today," declared the Professor. "We are currently programming simulations in the Danger Room first. I will tell Logan to teach all students how to use it in case of an emergency."

Naruto was about to respond but footsteps interrupted him. He looked behind to see Jean Grey in casual clothing, suitable for autumn weather. Illinois was not any warmer than New York this time of year.

"I will pilot," said Professor Xavier. "In the meantime, it's best if the two of you come up with a good strategy to approach this new young mutant. Remember when we introduced ourselves to you, Naruto – empathy and tact is key."

Jean looked at Naruto teasingly. "That means not running off your mouth."

Naruto pouted. "I'm not _that_ bad, Jean-chan." He thought that he'd gotten a lot better in terms of tact but every once in a while, either Logan or Scott would kick him under the table.

"Just act natural, okay?" said Jean, in an amused tone. "I'd hate to miss on the chance to have another girl around."

"I'd never disappoint you, Jean-chan," said Naruto earnestly. It would be interesting to have another person alongside the rest of his new friends, and if Jean was happier, then he would be happy as well.

Jean nodded, pleased. "Well, I'm not a fan of skipping school – especially with midterms coming up – but I guess a change in scenery will do nicely."

To his own surprise, Naruto agreed. If he'd been told just a year back that he'd be annoyed to miss class, he would have laughed before pranking them. The fact is that the uses of the classes were a lot more evident here than back home with all the advanced technology. Having clones around to help you learn what would take others a lot more time certainly didn't harm.

"We're almost there," called the Professor from the intercom. "We'll be stopping by the female mutant's house first. Records identify her as Katherine Pryde, fifteen years old."

"What about the other one?" asked Naruto.

"Lance Alvers – orphan and with an extensive record of juvenile delinquency."

"Umm… Professor? Are you sure you want to invite someone with that kind of history to the school?" asked Jean.

"Everyone deserves an opportunity. The Institute opens its doors to every mutant that is in need of help and willing to change himself for the better," responded Professor Xavier. "However, we cannot force people to come with us. He has to make that decision himself."

Naruto did not know how to feel about that. He did remember back in Konoha how he did his pranks, but those were just meant to be harmless fun and people were never in any danger; he knew when to stop before he took it too far. It would depend on how much damage a certain person was willing to do for him to determine if they deserved the chance.

As soon as the Blackbird landed on a large patch of land, Naruto and Jean walked out with Professor Xavier to gaze upon traditional American suburbs. Wordlessly, they started to make their way towards a particular house and knocked on it.

A middle-aged woman opened the door. Naruto only gave her a quick glance to realize that despite the veneer of normalcy, her appearance was a little ragged; hair slightly unkempt, dark circles under her eyes, and general tension on her composure.

"Good afternoon," greeted the Professor, his tone diplomatic. "Is this by any chance the Pryde residence?"

"Honey?" called the woman and a man joined her promptly. He looked just as ragged as his wife.

"Charles?" asked the man, whom Naruto assumed was Mr. Pryde. "Charles? Is that you? I haven't seen you since Vietnam!"

"You know him, Professor?" asked Jean, her voice sounding surprised. Even if still composed, Naruto could tell that the Professor was surprised as well.

"Carmen," nodded Professor Xavier. "It has been a long time. I regret not reaching out to you in all these years."

"Come in, come in," welcomed Mr. Pryde, letting them into his living room. "I think I offered many times before for you to meet my wife, Theresa."

The Professor shook both their hands whilst Naruto and Jean sat down on a two-seat sofa. "Charmed to finally meet you. Thank you for your hospitality."

"Theresa, something to drink for our guests, please," said Mr. Pryde before slumping down on a couch, like he hadn't slept all night and the exhaustion was catching up to him. "I admit, Charles, this is not the best of times for us."

"I know, my friend," said the Professor. "I guess I must also admit that I'm not here to catch up with old friendships; it is in fact quite a coincidence that I knocked on your door."

"What do you mean?" asked Mr. Pryde, his voice a little more nervous now, calming down only slightly when Mrs. Pryde came back with tea.

"Well," began the Professor before taking a large breath. "I am here specifically to speak about your daughter?"

"What about Kitty?!" snapped Mrs. Pryde, probably a little more impolitely than she intended. "Kitty is fine. She's just fine."

"Oh, I assure you that young Katherine is a healthy young woman, but she is a little more… special than others," answered the Professor. "Jean and Naruto here are also special, and you will hardly find any two upstanding individuals like them."

Mrs. Pryde closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I… I'm sorry… it's just… it's been hard."

Professor Xavier nodded. "I understand. May I ask if there has been anything out of the ordinary?"

Mr. Pryde cleared his voice a little as if trying to find the correct words. "It happened a couple of nights ago. Kitty had fallen asleep late – studying for midterms – I was fast asleep when I was awoken by Kitty's scream. I rushed towards the noise but it had not originated from her room… it came from the basement. Somehow, she had just… _fallen_ from her bed to the basement!"

"I understand," said the Professor.

"No! You don't!" exclaimed Mrs. Pryde. "I… I just cannot explain. We've been keeping it hidden because we are afraid the government will take her away. Somebody else came yesterday – a young blonde woman saying that Kitty was special and was offering to enroll her at a private school in Massachusetts. I screamed at her to leave us alone."

Now Naruto was surprised, looking at his side he saw the Professor's eyes widen a little. _"There's another school?"_ he asked telepathically.

" _Not to my knowledge,"_ answered the Professor before saying. "I am sorry you've been through such an experience, but I assure you that your daughter is safe from the government. My institute has the right arrangements with state agencies."

"Institute?" asked Mr. Pryde. "Institute for what?"

"For gifted people," responded the Professor before nodding towards Naruto and Jean.

The redheaded psychic nodded back before placing her palm against her temple and telekinetically holding the kettle and pouring everyone a cup of tea. Naruto complimented her by willing the plate of pastries around the table, offering them to everyone. Only the Professor grabbed one, the married couple too shocked to respond.

"Young Katherine has very similar gifts. It is nothing to be ashamed of… but it can be dangerous for people like Naruto, Jean, myself, and your daughter to go without guidance about our powers," said the Professor.

Mr. Pryde shook away the surprise. "How? How did this happen to Kitty? What about you, Charles? Were you always like this?"

"I regret hiding it from you, old friend. The same fears that plague you once plagued me… and still do. Which is why I have created a place where gifted people can come to train their powers and adapt to the world around them," said Professor Xavier.

"I understand, but _why_?"

"Truth be told, I do not know all the details," responded the Professor. "I do believe mutants like us have existed for a long time, but there has been a monumental increase. My theory is that human technology has been a significant factor – radiation and chemicals have ramped up human development and given birth to more mutants."

"Back in Vietnam… Agent Orange?" asked Mr. Pryde, voice filled with regret.

"It could be factor, but it matters little. What matters is that right now Katherine is confused and scared, and that could be a danger to those around her and herself. I would like to cordially invite her to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters."

"Absolutely not!" cried Mrs. Pryde. "Kitty belongs here, with her family! She has her whole life here, she –"

"Please, Mrs. Pryde," interrupted Jean, her voice carrying a tone of comprehension. "I understand that this must be hard. It was hard for me at first to go away from my family too… but if I did not have the tools that the Professor taught me, I could have been a serious danger to those I hold dear."

"But… but," tried to protest Mrs. Pryde. "She's my baby," she whimpered.

"I think," interjected the Professor, "that we cannot have this conversation without your daughter here. It's her decision in the end."

Mr. Pryde nodded. "She is at school. Kitty will be the one to decide what she wants to do. It's around four blocks that way," he said, pointing outside the window. "We can walk there."

"Of course. Jean, Naruto," nodded the Professor. Naruto nodded back before putting his hand around Jean and with the other doing a half Tiger seal, they reappeared near the entrance of the school.

"Ugh! I don't know how you and Kurt can go around doing this all day," said Jean, shuddering a bit.

Naruto gave an insulted look. "Hey! I'm not as bad as Kurt, and mine don't smell of sulfur."

"You're slower, though," responded Jean with a smirk.

"For now."

"Whatever, let's just go on a look for Kitty. Did you see her picture on the table?" asked Jean while her eyes scanned around the school grounds.

"Of course, I did. I'm a _shinobi_!" responded Naruto.

"Good, I'll go on this side, you go on that one. Remember, Naruto. Tact," said Jean while going to the left, where the soccer field and a smaller building were situated. "Also, be on the lookout for the other one!"

"Yeah, yeah," grumbled Naruto before walking towards the main building. Most of the students paid him little attention; most of them looking like they were more preoccupied with going to class than seeing a new face. Putting both hands behind his head, the blonde lazily tried to locate the new mutant but he was interrupted by two girls who, judging by their clothes, were on their way to a P.E. class

"Hey handsome!" Naruto had to admit that it made him blush a little. 'Handsome' had never really been a word that was thrown his way; 'idiot', 'dropout' or 'failure' were the ways he'd been described back home. Either way, he maintained his composure and kept his mind towards the objective.

"Hello. I was actually looking for some help," said Naruto.

"Aww. Feeling lost?" said the blonde girl. In terms of attractiveness, Jean, Ororo, and Sue blew them out of the water, but Naruto was completely inexperienced with women being so openly flirtatious even _he_ was aware of what was happening.

"Err…" mumbled Naruto, trying to keep his cool. "I'm looking for a student here, Katherine Pryde. You know her?"

The flirtatious smile on both girls disappeared at that moment, and so did the charm. "Kitty? Klutzy Kitty? What would you want with dweeb like her?"

Any interest Naruto might have had evaporated then and there. "None of your business," he responded in a much colder tone. "Just tell me."

The brunette snorted. "Whatever. I'm sure she's gotten herself locked up somewhere," she said bitingly before tugging on the blonde's shoulder and leaving the hall.

Naruto grunted but kept on walking through the now empty corridors, trying in vain to find another soul that would be more cooperative in his quest to find the mutant commonly known as Kitty until, without warning, he felt what seemed to be trembles on the floor, like a minor earthquake was about to occur.

' _That's weird,'_ thought Naruto but kept on going through the empty school until he started to hear loud murmurs emanating from around the hallway.

"I told you, we can do it!" said a male voice. "We need to find her – she's the key to getting those test answers!"

Out from the corner came three students. It was clear that the tall, brown haired one was the leader; the other two screamed followers. Naruto barely paid attention to their appearance, he was far more interested in what they were talking about.

"Pryde?" asked one of the stooges. "She's straighter than an arrow. There's no way she'll help us, Lance."

' _Lance?'_ thought Naruto. _'He's the other one.'_

"Hey! What are you doing here?" questioned Lance, distracting him. "I haven't seen your mug before here, blondie."

Naruto grunted but maintained his composure. "I'm looking for Kitty Pryde… and for you," he answered honestly. "Got an offer for both of you."

"Shove it!" responded Lance while stepping up to him threateningly. "And keep away from Kitty as well. I saw her first, pal."

"So, I take it you're not interested?" asked Naruto nonchalantly. "Fine!" The Professor said that everyone deserved a chance, but if this asshat wasn't willing to take it then Naruto wasn't going to attempt to persuade him. There's no way he wanted someone like that on the mansion.

Sighing he walked past the fuming delinquent and continued on like the encounter hadn't taken place but as soon as they were out of sight, he made a clone and ordered it to follow Lance Alvers. After a few minutes of non-success, he concentrated on locating Jean. _"Jean-chan? I found delinquent-san. He isn't interested,"_ he communicated.

" _Did you even try, Naruto?"_ answered Jean before sighing. _"Whatever, just come to the drama class building, I've found her,"_ she said. _"And Naruto? Between the two of us – I also saw Alvers. I don't blame you for not trying."_

" _Ahh… I knew you were on my team, Jean-chan! On my way!"_ Naruto sped up towards Jean's direction, finding the nearest exit and easily locating the small room his fellow telepath had mentioned. Before he managed to open the door, it swung open and a slim figure slammed into him.

"Oof!" gasped Naruto but it was not enough to send him to the ground. Instinctively, he grabbed onto what had collided with him.

"Ugh… did I just hit a brick wall?" complained the figure. Naruto looked down and saw that it was a girl with brunette hair and hazel eyes. Her tresses were made up in a ponytail and she was wearing a uniform fit for a P.E. class. She was pretty. Very pretty, just like Jean and Storm but shorter in stature. From the pictures he saw before, Naruto knew that this was Kitty Pryde.

"Not a brick wall. Just me," answered Naruto, barely aware that he was still holding onto her.

"I… err… hi?" said Kitty, her face turning slightly pink. "I'm… oh, this is like, so awkward."

Naruto didn't even need to read her mind to know that she was still confused and scared, so he tried to do his best to not make her uncomfortable. "Wanna take a seat? How about we go away from here for a moment?"

"Yeah… yeah that'd be great," Kitty sighed exhaustedly. "I just… I need to like, get away from here."

"I know that feeling. Name's Naruto, by the way," responded Naruto while trying his best to lead her away from the building; it would not be good for anyone else to startle her right now.

"Kitty. Kitty Pryde," she responded. Naruto already knew that but it was best to break this slowly. "Be tactful!" Jean had said.

He eventually found some tables near a school kiosk and led Kitty to a seat. "You want something to drink?"

"I'm alright," said Kitty. "I just need to like, breathe a little. I've had a very long day, you know?"

Naruto nodded. "Some days are hard, but what's important is that you take stock of the situation and decide how you're going to confront it."

"It's like… your entire world – everything you know – is just turned upside down from one day to the next! Am I going crazy or is it everyone else?!" cried Kitty before taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry, you probably don't care what a crazy girl is saying."

"Try me. I'm a great listener," responded Naruto. Unfortunately, he didn't really listen to what Kitty said because Jean suddenly called to him.

" _Naruto? Where are you? I… kinda screwed up with Kitty,"_ confessed Jean, a little bitterness in her voice.

Rather than miss out on any more, Naruto stood up and looked at Kitty. "Can you wait a bit? I'm parched." He saw her nod slowly and went over to the kiosk to buy a soda.

" _I'm in the outdoors lunch area with Kitty. What exactly did you do?"_

Jean seemed to pause for a moment before she responded with an embarrassed tone. _"I may have told her that I can read minds."_

Naruto chuckled. _"And you were the one telling me to be tactful"._ He laughed when he could hear a mental grumble coming from the redhead. _"Look, I've managed to talk to her a bit so it may be better for you to go to the Professor and tell him to come over."_

" _Alright, see you –"_ He cut her off as soon as he turned his attention back to Kitty, who was now no longer alone.

In his absence, Lance Alvers had apparently decided to move forward again. He stood over the seated Kitty, who was shaking her head again and again. Frustrated, Lance grabbed one of her wrists and tried to force her come with him.

"Hey!" shouted Naruto, making the large boy look at him. "What do you think you're doing, pal?"

"I told you to stay out of this, blondie. She's with me now – I will make sure I'm the only friend she needs!" sneered Lance while increasing his grip on Kitty's wrist.

"Hey… like, let me go!" screamed Kitty. "I told you that I don't want anything to do with whatever plan you have, you creep!"

"I think we should listen to what she wants," said Naruto. "Kitty, your parents are going to come if a few minutes – you can go ahead and meet them by the entrance."

"My parents? H-How do you know…" she started to trail off before she viciously tugged on her trapped wrist. Naruto watched with wide eyes as it phased through Lance Alvers' grip.

"That's awesome!" exclaimed Naruto before setting his gaze on the equally shocked Alvers. "Don't worry about this guy. I'll take care of him."

Kitty nodded and before Lance had the opportunity to catch her again, she phased through a wall that led inside the main building and presumably kept on running away from them.

Naruto's eyes fixed on the angry mutant. "Well… it's just you and me now, _kusottare-san_. I gave you one chance but that's all I'm willing to give for someone like you."

Lance's glare seemed to burn brighter with every passing second. Naruto could see the veins in his forehead wanting to pop out and his hands turning to fists. "You just had to interfere, didn't you, blondie? I warned you not to come near her – she is coming with me! You're going to pay for that." His rant over, Lance thrust his arms forward and grit his teeth as if in deep concentration.

Almost immediately Naruto could feel the vibrations he'd felt earlier, but this time much stronger and aimed at him. Below him, cracks stared to form on the ground as if it were a small earthquake. It could be a dangerous ability if it had been used indoors since it could collapse a ceiling and walls – and maybe even outdoors with proper training, this _was_ a new mutant after all – but to Naruto it seemed quite underwhelming.

He yawned mockingly. "That's it? I'm getting a little bored here, Quakey. I need to get going now," he said before turning around and leaving, using his chakra to maintain steady footing amongst the heavy vibrations.

"Don't ignore me, blonde bastard!" demanded Lance angrily.

It seemed like Spider-Man had been right about pissing off your opponents, because Naruto's senses could feel Lance charging behind him, intent on fighting him with his fists… bad move.

He waited until the moment a fist was about to connect with the back of his head to side-step and then shoved Lance further. Combined with the previous momentum, this had the effect of sending the earthquake generating mutant face-first towards the ground.

Any harm that was done to Lance seemed superficial. The wounds would affect his ego more than his body. Naruto saw him grit his teeth and try to stand up again. "You'll pay for that!" he yelled, trying to save some dignity through pure aggressiveness.

"Shut up. You're boring… and you're also weak. You would have found a place to train back with us if you weren't such an ass, but that's a burnt bridge I guess," responded Naruto before he started to walk away again towards the main building. "Now, if you excuse me, Quakey – I'm gonna go with the mutant in this town who isn't an idiot... and is prettier as well."

Lance continued to lay down. "You bastard!" he muttered. "I'll get you next time!"

Naruto ignored the threats coolly but inside he was anything but. _'That was… so cool!'_ he thought, remembering all the times Sasuke had done something similar. _'Too bad Jean wasn't here to see it. I should have told Kitty to stay and watch me be awesome.'_

Turns out he didn't have to go far to see the petite brunette capable of phasing through objects. Gone was the gym uniform and she now donned a cream-colored undershirt with a pink sleeved sweater, light blue capri pants, and brown sandals on her feet. Naruto also noticed a necklace that had a six-pointed star she hadn't worn before; probably too valuable.

"Hello again." Naruto shuffled uncomfortably. "Sorry for not telling you. This must all be very hard for you."

Kitty nodded slowly. "What happened to that jerk?"

Naruto puffed his chest. "I took care of him. Told him not to bother you anymore… but knowing his kind I doubt he will stay to it."

"That's why they are jerks," replied Kitty with a nervous smile before her posture sagged. "There's no, like… going back, right? There's no getting rid of this."

Shaking his head, Naruto took a deep breath and tried to find the best words. "We can't change the things that happen to us… but we can choose how it affects us, how we react to it. Right now, the way you can choose to look at it is that you have a gift." He smiled brightly. "I mean, you can walk through walls! That's awesome!"

Her face broke a bit into a smile. "I guess… I just want to be, like… you know… _normal_."

"We can try to be like others if that's what you want. That's what the Institute is for. There's me and Jean who you've already met. Ororo is awesome, too. Scott is a bit stuck up at times and Kurt can be annoying, but they're cool. There's the Xavier-sensei and Logan as well."

"I guess… I can give it a try," she responded, looking at feet.

Naruto grinned and gave her thumbs up. "You won't regret it!"

"Ugh! Thumbs up… like… _soooo_ lame!" she giggled. Naruto thought it definitely sounded cute.

"Let's go then. The Professor should be able to take care of everything. We go to school as well back in New York. Honestly, it's very similar to here," Naruto rambled on while following her towards the entrance. "You'll love it, Katherine!"

"Call me Kitty. Katherine makes me sound, like, so old."

Naruto nodded. "Kitty. Pretty Kitty, gotcha!" He barely noticed how her face started to flush pink; his attention was more focused forwards, where the Professor and Jean were waiting alongside Kitty's parents. So focused that he felt the violent vibrations too late.

"I told you to not get in my way!" growled a voice behind him. Naruto turned around to see Lance Alvers on the other side of the hallway. Dried mud covered the front part of his body from the shoes to the face, but that did not seem to deter him.

"Kitty!" cried Mrs. Pryde as the violent vibrations became something akin to a true earthquake. Indoors, the ability was a lot more dangerous, even for someone as untrained as Lance.

Cracks started to appear all along the floor, spreading towards the walls and the ceiling. Small pieces of granite eventually started to fall off as the vibrations became more and more turbulent. Naruto barely had time to activate his eyes before the building started to fall over him.

He immediately closed the distance between him and Kitty and concentrated as much as he could on the huge pieces of rubble. The falling ceiling may not be enough to seriously damage someone with his body structure, but Kitty was another story; he had to protect her now.

"Stay close!" he yelled while holding one of his hands towards the debris and the other at his temple. It was hard, harder than anything else he'd done. The weight of the rubble was almost overwhelming, his head pounded for him to stop. Fortunately, Jean seemed to have joined in at the last moment, lessening his burden. However, while the fragments above them were stopped, the ones beside fell and surrounded them with concrete.

"Don't… worry," Naruto gasped. "I'll… I'll get us… out…"

"Hold my hand!" said Kitty as her smaller hand encircled his. "I… think I know what to do! Hold on!"

Naruto grit his teeth before letting go of his concentration. Immediately, the rubble fell down on top of them. As a defensive maneuver, he encircled Kitty's smaller frame with his own, shielding her with his back as he expected the impact but it never came.

It was strange, he knew there should be an impact, a shove, anything… but there wasn't. Only Kitty's hand, tugging at him, warm and shivering but filled with determination. He followed her eagerly; it must have been the first time he held hands with a girl in such a way. It felt… nice. Real nice. Suddenly, the light came back and both he and Kitty fell down on the floor.

"W-Whoa!" exclaimed Kitty. "Guess this has its uses after all!"

Naruto chuckled trying his best to recover from the headache. "I told you – awesome."

"Kitty!" came a couple of voices. Naruto raised his head to see Kitty's parents running towards them, eventually engulfing her in a hug.

"I'm alright, mom," she said closing her eyes. "Thanks to them… I think I know what I'm supposed to do now with this… gift."

"Yes. It is a gift," declared the Professor as he approached the reunited family. "One that we can help you control and use for good. You have now seen what happens when it's used for selfish and destructive reasons."

"Speaking of!" yelled Naruto, his eyes still Sharingan red. "I'm gonna teach Quakey another lesson."

"No," commanded the Professor. "We do not initiate conflict. We use our abilities to protect ourselves and our loved ones. Young Alvers needs to come to us first."

"But he is a danger! Who knows what he'll do now?!"

"I have decided to _convince_ Mr. Alvers to calm down and leave. He has decided not to come with us and we must respect that. Hopefully young Ms. Pryde will be more welcoming to our offer."

Naruto grumbled but nodded. Knowing Alvers he'd find a way to get back at him somehow. Right now, he was more interested in Kitty's decision. That, and the fact that Jean was doting on him, searching for injuries.

"Mom… Daddy," said Kitty. "I… think I will go with them. They're right – I need to train and know more about myself. Besides," she looked at Naruto and her face turned pink a little, "I don't think it'll do me bad to go to another school."

Mr. Pryde sighed. "I know, sweetie." He gave her a hug while looking back at Professor Xavier. "Charles, I think we have some things to talk about.

"Yes, we do, old friend," responded the Professor but Naruto paid no more attention to that. He was tired; mind powers took a hell of a lot more toll than good old physical feats he could perform without seemingly running out of energy. He wordlessly excused himself before going out of the damaged building to lay down on the grass for a bit, about to go to sleep until he heard the crunching of leaves besides his head.

"Hey." It was Kitty, who slowly sat down besides him. "You alright?" she asked, genuine concern in her tone.

"I'm fine. You're lucky you got a physical power. Mental powers can be such a drain," groaned Naruto. The headache was getting lower now, thankfully.

"Yeah, but it was like, so cool though," she said before giggling. "Thanks for saving my life, by the way."

"No problem, Pretty Kitty," responded Naruto. He didn't know where that had come up to begin with, but it fit. "Besides, you did most of the work."

"Anyways… so like, my parents are gonna be talking to the Professor for a while… and well… I just remember how like, stressed I've been the last couple of days. I haven't eaten like, _at all_ … so, like… I could really, _really_ go for one of Mr. Gianakos' chicken gyros right about now," Kitty rambled on before her voice quieted down a bit. "And I wanted to ask if you'd… like to come with me… finish what you were telling me before?"

' _Food and a pretty girl? Why didn't I have this much luck back in Konoha?!'_ thought Naruto before grinning like his headache was completely gone. "Sure!" he exclaimed. "Though… I don't know what a gyro is."

"Only thing you need to know is that they're delicious and you'll probably eat around six of them," came the voice of Jean, who was approaching them. "Mind if I join you? I also skipped breakfast."

"Uh, like… sure!" said Kitty before standing up. "I'm sorry for like, getting off on the wrong foot."

Jean nodded. "I understand, it's hard to get used to it at first. Just know that I'll try my best not to invade other people's mental privacy. Same with Professor Xavier and Naruto."

Kitty turned back to Naruto. "You can like, read minds too?"

Naruto nodded. "Jean and I have very similar powers. It's weird, really. But the advantage is that I have someone to help me a lot."

"You… really all help each other, huh?"

"We're all in this together. Everyone at the Institute is ready to lend a hand, even when they're being a bit hard," responded Jean.

"Anyways," said Kitty while grabbing Naruto's hand, an act that actually made him feel warm and tingly inside like the last time. "You can tell me all about it in a bit – any more and I'll starve to death!"

Naruto couldn't wipe the goofy grin off his face as he followed Kitty. Whether she knew or not that she still kept on holding his hand, he did not know, but being the center of attention of a beautiful girl was something new to him. New, yet not unwelcome.

From the corner of his eye, he managed to look at Jean. She looked frustrated, but Naruto could not figure out why. It mattered little; he could figure it out later. Right now, he wanted to get some food in his belly. He may not know what a gyro is, but he already knew he was going to enjoy the experience either way.

* * *

 **AN: Sorry for the long wait. Had a lot of troubles with moving the story forwards and with a story this big you really need to start planning ahead in order to set up things properly.**

 **I have a Discord server where you can get into contact with me more directly. Be aware that it can be a bit NSFW compared to other servers.**

 **Link: FEKnu79**


	7. Devil's Plaything

**Naruto and Marvel belong to Masashi Kishimoto and Disney respectively.**

 **AN: Special thanks to Meneldur for helping to beta the story and giving me plenty of ideas. Further thanks to the members of my Discord server and to all readers for taking an interest in the story.**

"Dialogue"

' _Thoughts'_

" _Foreign languages"_

" ** _Jutsu/Technique"_**

 **Chapter VII: Devil's Plaything**

* * *

Back in Konoha he was known as an idiot; the shinobi that was hopeless at anything that wasn't running straight ahead at a threat, serving as the dumb muscle. To be fair, Naruto didn't do that much after graduation to change that perception people had about him, but it was still a bit demeaning.

So, it truly came as a surprise to him that every single representative of the clubs he wanted to join pretty much accepted him with little to no hassle. The leaked rumors about his exam scores must have had something to do about it. Clones or not, it was still an amazing feeling to be seen in such a way.

"Did you get into the ones you wanted?" came Kitty's voice from behind. Naruto turned around to see the new addition to the mansion sit down beside him for lunchtime. It barely crossed his mind that she had decided to do so since the rest of the table was empty.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah. What about you?"

"Ugh! Logan told me that I should go for something physical because I'm bad at it. Like, I already know that! I just don't like football or soccer or anything that involves taking one stupid ball from one side of the field to another." ranted Kitty. " _Sooo_ boring! But Ororo told me that there are dance classes in here, so I went with that."

"Dance?"

Kitty nodded. "Yeah. Ballet and some other styles." Her face then turned slightly pink. "Wanna come see me at practice sometime?"

"I –"

"We'd be delighted to. Won't we, Naruto?" interrupted Jean as she sat down on their table. Accompanying her were Ororo, Scott, and Kurt.

"Sure. Sure, we will," stammered Naruto upon hearing Jean's "be tactful" tone. "I'll be there when you want me to."

"I-I'll tell you when – the only classes I've ever taken were years ago so I'm like, very rusty right now," responded Kitty nervously but the smile never went away.

"Dance is a great way to improve your flexibility and endurance. However, like any other art, you must dedicate practice to it," declared Ororo. "I myself have taken some classes, and Jean as well. I'm sure you will enjoy it."

Kitty laughed nervously. "Thanks, I'll try."

"And you Naruto?" asked Jean, changing the focus. "You really managed to get into all of the ones you wanted?" Her question filled with equal parts incredulity and a little bit of awe, something that made Naruto's chest puff out a little.

"Believe it!" he exclaimed loudly. "The music and arts class took a little bit of convincing, but the science and math clubs were more than willing. Even got offered a place in the student council!"

"All of the clubs? That is insane, _mein_ _Freund!"_ said Kurt in between mouthfuls of food.

Scott however, looked at things a little bit more negatively. "Remember that you still need to train with us. I don't believe that putting priority in this is such a good thing when you're still with the X-Men."

Naruto was about to respond but Jean beat him to it. "Well at least _someone_ is taking advantage of being in one of the best private schools in the country," she said, her gaze fixed on Scott and Kurt accusingly.

"I told you before, Jean, I use all my time to train. Someone has to do it," defended Scott, but his justification fell on deaf ears.

"What about when we leave the Institute? We won't be there forever! High school serves to prepare us for the future, help us gather skills for later. Training your mutant powers will only get you so far." Jean then looked at Kurt. "And what's your excuse?"

Kurt waved his hands in front of him defensively. "Hey! Isn't high school a place to have fun, too? I still need to acclimatize myself to this place, _ja?_ Besides, the less time I spend on the school, the better. Who knows when this little gadget decides to go _kaput_ on me? _"_

Kitty shrugged her shoulders. "Guess he got you there, Jean."

Jean shook her head. "No, you don't get away that easy –"

"Well if it isn't the newbies!" shouted a voice that Naruto recognized as Johnny Storm's. "Guess you're all fresh out of those midterms? Got to choose the clubs you're interested in? Ah – to be new and foolish!"

"You're still both of those," commented Ororo, her voice dignified despite the jab.

Johnny pretended to be hit in the heart. "Ororo, my dearest, you wound me with your harsh words!" Smiling, he sat down on the remaining seat left on the table. "How about I give you a ride on the way home? I just got my whip back from the mechanic."

Naruto's eyes flashed. "Whip?! Why would you want to use a whip on her?!" His voice probably a lot louder than he intended.

Johnny looked confused for a second before realization hit. "Oh… right. You're still learning English. Well… 'whip' is slang for car. As in 'I just got my car back from the mechanic'."

"You know that I dislike cars, Johnny," interrupted Ororo.

"Then I fear the future of our love is doomed," said Johnny with mock sadness. "But yeah, Naruto. You can't just take everything literally on English… especially in New York City. There so many uses for the same word."

"Huh? Like what?" asked Naruto, arms crossed in front of him.

"Whack," said Johnny. "You can use it to describe something that's awesome. Something like: 'that car is whack.'"

"I see. What else?"

"Hot can be used to say that's something's awesome as well, but also attractive. So, between us guys," he ignored the piercing looks of Jean, "when someone says a girl is hot, that means she's beautiful."

Naruto smiled "Ah! I get it!" he exclaimed, "So… like your sister?"

"Naruto!" growled Jean while all around the table there were different reactions: both Kurt and Scott immediately did a spit take, Ororo's mouth actually opened slightly, and Kitty pursed her lips but said nothing.

"W-What?! It's true!" Naruto responded defensively. What had he done wrong? He didn't ponder long once he saw that fire exploded from Johnny's fists, the flames being pointed directly at him. An angry Johnny Storm was something Naruto hadn't seen before; Susan's younger brother always seemed so easygoing.

"What did you say about my sister?!" Johnny asked menacingly as more and more flames started to take over his body. Even some of the students from other tables started to notice.

Naruto immediately put his hands in front of him defensively. "I said your sister was pretty! That's all! You're saying she's ugly?" As soon as he said that Johnny stopped and the anger visibly drained away, which was followed by a chuckle.

"I guess you're right, my sister _is_ pretty… but it's probably not a good idea to tell a guy that you're interested in dating his sister that way."

Naruto blinked, trying to process what he just heard, and when he did, one could almost see a lightbulb appear above his head. "Huh?! Date?!" He shook his head. "N-No, no, no, no! It's not like that!"

Johnny laughed, as if the previous fury had never been there. "Isn't it? You know… she's been cooped up in that tower begging for someone to take her out. I think I'll let her know about what you think."

"No! I didn't mean it like that!" A date with someone like Susan Storm was a thing people would die for, but he doubted she'd be interested. Johnny did not seem to care as he immediately stood up and walked towards another table where the upperclassmen were seated.

"Come visit when you can! I think Reed has something for you." Was the last thing Johnny said before his voice was drowned amongst the loudness of the cafeteria hall.

Jean let out a long, tired sigh before looking at Naruto. "I told you… tact… please have some tact," she pleaded.

Naruto grumbled, resigning himself to finishing his lunch. He'd have to go to the Baxter building soon enough; hopefully Johnny had only been bluffing. "Don't girls like being called pretty?"

"Yeah… but you have to be a lot more careful in the way you say it. Don't be blunt, say something poetic or subtle, compliment the little details… especially when you're in public!"

"Poetry?"

"You did get into the reading club, didn't you? They'll help you out."

Naruto nodded. "I guess."

"No… freaking… _way!"_ Kitty interrupted; her gaze fixed on an enormous… _blob_ of a human being that had entered the cafeteria. If he could be summed up in one word, "huge" would be an apt descriptor: at least six feet tall, with a giant gut belly that seemed to be barely kept in check by the clothes that threatened to rip apart from the pressure. "Is that the humongous guy that you and Logan went to see Saturday night?" she asked Jean.

"Yeah, Fred Dukes." She looked at all of them seriously. "He's an okay guy but please try not to antagonize him," said Jean as Naruto looked at the large quantities of food the giant mutant was piling onto his cafeteria tray.

"He eats as much as Naruto," muttered Kurt.

"Hey! That's not fair!" responded Naruto as he looked at the amount of food. Kurt was kind of right but even then, the months he had spent with Jean and Ororo were enough to implement some table manners into him. At least be a little more orderly.

Kitty giggled. "Yeah, but all the food Naruto eats goes into his muscles."

Naruto nodded smugly. "That's right!" he said before returning his gaze back to the lumbering behemoth of a man that was curiously going to a table that was removed from everybody else. Already sitting there was a mutant by the name of Todd Tolansky – someone that made every person feel a lot better about their personal hygiene – and there was also someone that seemed quite familiar.

"What the hell?!" exclaimed Naruto, his hand pointing at the table where Lance Alvers was sitting next to Todd. "When the hell did Quakey get in here?!"

Besides him, Kitty's amazed expression turned into one of annoyance. "He better not like, bring down the entire school this time!"

Naruto turned to Jean. Her brows were furrowed, a seeming combination of equal parts frustration and concentration. "What's going on?"

"Well… remember when I told you that Logan and I went to recruit Fred a few days ago?" Everyone at the table nodded. "When we went backstage, he was gone. The only person we found then was… Principal Darkholme."

Scott twiddled his thumbs. "Now that you mention it… when you and Naruto went to Illinois, Principal Darkholme was also not present."

Kurt suddenly jumped from his seat. "You're telling me that they were enrolled into the school because Principal Darkholme said so? Why would she want to do something like that?"

Scott crossed his arms. "I don't know, but it doesn't smell ri –"

Before he had a chance to continue, a loud crash resounded across the hall. Naruto immediately joined the entire student body in searching for the source and quickly found it. Fred Dukes' body had apparently been too heavy for his seat, and now the giant man could be found on the floor, with the massive amount of food all over him. Some of it had even landed on Jean's jerk of a boyfriend, Duncan Matthews who, much to Jean's visible frustration, had been flirting with some of the cheerleaders at another table.

It didn't take long for everyone to laugh. Even Kurt joined in a little; the only ones that were not amused by the sight were Fred himself and Duncan, who was approaching the gargantuan mutant in anger. "You're dead, fatso!"

Apparently, Fred Dukes had a breaking point; the combination of being threatened with violence, humiliation, and the fact that people were laughing at _him_ triggered it.

"Don't… laugh… at _me!"_ raged Fred while grabbing pieces of his food and throwing them at Duncan, dirtying the douchebag jock even more.

"Food fight!" screamed a student and the cafeteria immediately erupted into chaos; the air was immediately filled with beef patties, beans, pasta, and bread, all of them covered with toppings and condiments. Most fled the hall as quickly as they could, but some decided to grab their own food and continue the fight.

Naruto evaded all the stuff that was being thrown at his direction with ease. It would have been easy enough with just his shinobi skills, but the Sharingan made it even more trivial. The same could not be said for Jean, who was resorting to shielding herself with her powers. Scott had taken cover behind a table, Kurt had disappeared, and both Kitty and Ororo were close to each other, doing their best to evade the food.

Sharingan eyes picked up an especially greasy and large hamburger that was headed straight towards Kitty's head and instincts kicked in. With a wave of his hand, Naruto derailed the projectile from its course before it made contact.

Kitty turned to him with a smile. "Thanks," she said before grabbing Ororo's hand. "I think we're gonna totally skip dessert." Both of them phased through the floor, as if it had swallowed the two female mutants whole.

Grinning, Naruto turned his attention back to Fred. The giant man now screamed with rage; whatever little sense of inhibition that might've been left seemingly gone to the point that he now grabbed a table and started to wave it around like it was a stick.

"Fred, stop!" cried Jean as she tried to get closer, easily using her powers to deflect any oncoming debris. Her asshole of a boyfriend had already been knocked after Fred had flung a plastic tray at him.

Naruto breath skipped as he saw a swing of the table come dangerously close to Jean's head and he immediately gathered chakra into his hand, forming an imperfect Rasengan. In less than a second, he was right next to Jean, just as another swing of the table was about to reach her. He thrust his hand forward and even while incomplete, the Rasengan was enough to reduce the makeshift weapon to splinters.

"Naruto!" gasped Jean before looking back at the giant mutant. "Put the table down, Fred!"

Jean's voice was seemingly enough to bring Jean back to his senses. "Uh… Jean?" Fred muttered dumbly while holding only a foot of the table; what was left after Naruto's Rasengan.

" _Baka_ , you almost hit her!" growled Naruto as he got into a fighting stance. Fred glowered at him and raised his weapon, ready to continue the fight.

"Stop! I'll handle this!" commanded Jean before lowering her tone. "Fred… calm down… everything's fine."

"They laughed at _me_! They shouldn't've _laughed at me_!" growled Fred, but his voice was less violent now. He even began lowering the club.

"No, they shouldn't have," assured Jean before turning towards Naruto and Scott. "I'll be fine. Let me handle this… please."

Naruto was hesitant but slowly nodded. _"Call me if you need me,"_ he communicated to Jean. Her nod assured him that she would. He was lucky enough to leave before one of the teachers got involved.

"Quite the powerhouse I got around me now, Whiskers," said a slimy voice once Naruto was in the halls.

Naruto smelled the source of the voice before he even saw him. Todd Tolanksy was perched over one a row of lockers, below him stood Lance Alvers.

"Quakey!" snarled Naruto, his body stiffening even though Lance stood tranquil. "What the hell are you doing here?! Aren't you supposed to be on a cell back in Illinois?!"

"Blondie… you may have gotten the drop on me the last time, but now I've been training with my powers. Next time, you won't be so lucky," said Lance while remaining still. "You and the rest of your Mansion nerds better stay out of our way."

Naruto bared his teeth. "So long as you stay away from ours."

Lance scoffed before he started to walk away, Todd hopping behind him. It seemed that this little group had found a leader in the earthquake making mutant. Naruto had to admit that between Todd and Fred, at least Lance seemed to be a bit less dumb.

Getting worried, he walked back to where Jean's presence was and waited for her to emerge. Once she did, he managed to get one last look at Fred Dukes, who's face quickly glared as soon as Naruto appeared, and even more so when he left with Jean.

' _School is going to get a hell of a lot more complicated,'_ thought Naruto before grinning. _'Maybe it'll also get a lot more interesting!'_

* * *

In all his life, Naruto could safely say that he had never dealt with a person like Kitty Pryde before. In many ways she reminded him of Ino, but kinder. Or maybe this was the other side of Ino? The one that Sasuke was more familiar with. The one that spoke just as loud but was infinitely more pleasant. The one that said compliments so blatant even he was able to understand.

The one that constantly asked him to go out with her.

"Come _on!"_ insisted Kitty, almost tugging at his arm. "It's the _weekend_ and I don't want to be like, cooped up in the mansion. Let's go out!"

"Err… right. I'm gonna go ask if anybody else wants to come –"

"Nobody else wants to come," Kitty stated quickly and sharply. "Let's just go – you and me."

It was thus that Naruto ended up going to Salem Center, one of the oldest towns in the country. So many of his nights had recently been occupied with the goings-on of New York City that he had forgotten that there was a small town on his own backyard. The reason was simple; there was minimal crime compared to the giant city just south of them.

"Not that many clothing stores," grumbled Kitty. "And I've just received my allowance from my parents. Bummer."

"There are many clothing stores in New York."

Kitty grinned. "Then you totally need to take me there tomorrow. I'm just an innocent girl from small town America going to the big bad city on her own. Gotta have someone to help me out." Her voice was sweet, and with those brown puppy eyes Naruto felt the need to nod, even if Kitty was far from helpless.

"Well, I'm starving and I think I saw a nice place a couple of blocks back." It was indeed a nice place. Rustic, with small tables both inside and outside. A waitress asked them where they wanted to be seated; Kitty and Naruto agreed to sit outside.

The waitress quickly gave each of them a menu. "I assume you're here for the Saturday Couple Special?" she asked and Naruto suddenly became very aware of the small hearts that decorated the tables.

"Yeah!" Kitty answered before Naruto could respond.

"I'll get you the free dessert after your lunch. Are you ready to order?"

Naruto decided to order both a club sandwich and burger while Kitty went for the healthier option of grilled chicken. While he was distracted, he started to notice more and more that the other people sitting around them were only couples; no families or groups.

"So," Kitty voiced, "you already know about me, but what about you, huh? I mean, you have to admit that someone of your height, eyes, and hair speaking Japanese is kinda weird. I thought you were from Scandinavia or something when I first saw you."

Most at the mansion already knew the story, so it didn't matter if there was another one. "I'm… not really from here."

Kitty giggled. "Yeah, I've gathered that."

Naruto chuckled a bit as well. "I'm mean, not from this planet."

Kitty looked shocked for a few seconds before smirking. "I can totally understand. Sometimes, I feel like I'm not from this planet as well."

"You're not?"

"Kidding" Kitty laughed. "But… seriously, you're an alien?"

Naruto nodded. "I guess that's what you can call me. I come from a place where we still don't have as many things as you do. The internet? We could really use that."

"Woah! I guess that explains why you're so strong. Is everyone as strong as you back in your planet?"

Naruto puffed up his chest. "I'm a bit stronger than most, but we all use chakra powers," he explained. "The whole reading minds and telekinesis stuff though, that's something I don't see over there."

"That's so totally cool!" gushed Kitty but calmed down a little when their plates arrived. "Why did you come here in the first place? Escaping?"

Naruto shook his head. "No… I was brought here after a fight. I used a powerful _jutsu_ and my… friend used a powerful one too. After we collided, I was… _sent_ here." He straightened himself on the seat. "I've been talking to the Professor and that stretchy Richards guy about a way I could go back, but so far we've been stuck." With determined eyes, he looked straight a Kitty. "But I swore that I would return… and I don't break my promises."

"Oh… I see," muttered Kitty, slowly gazing at the table and biting her lip. The silence only lasted a little before her smirked returned. "So, you're here until then, right?"

"Yep," nodded Naruto. It was amazing luck that he managed to literally land on a place that accepted him so quickly. He'd be sad to say farewell when the time came.

"That's totally not fair, you know," said Kitty, her smirk now a full smile. "You've been like, keeping this from me all this time. You owe me a trip tomorrow."

"A trip?"

"Yeah, I said that you totally need to take me to the City tomorrow and now you have no excuses. I want to go the movies, too… and to Central Park."

"Kitty –"

She shook her head. "No excuses. Besides, a great guy like you would never like, leave a lady all to herself, would you?" Before Naruto could respond she turned her attention to the waitress. "Excuse me? Could we order the couple's milkshake for dessert, please?"

It was thus that Naruto found himself roped to a trip to the city, and this time it wasn't to help Spiderman beat up thugs. He woke up early and knocked on Kitty's door, explaining that if they didn't go early, the traffic would be unbearable. She looked annoyed but didn't argue. Once both of them were properly dressed, they set out from the Mansion.

Naruto grumbled at the idea of having to take public transportation, especially considering he had preferred to run during his past excursions. "Want to try a less expensive way of getting there? It's gonna be a little less comfortable for you," he asked Kitty.

Kitty nodded. "Umm… _yeah_ , if I can like, use the money to get a new pair of shoes, then it'll be worth it."

Naruto nodded and turned his back on her, crouching down a bit. "Hop on!"

"Huh?"

"You need to hold on tight since there are no seatbelts. Tell me if you get tired of the Naruto Express so we can make a momentary stop," he instructed. She seemed to finally understand and carefully put both her hands around his neck. Naruto then grabbed both her legs and held them tight as if she was seated. "Ready?"

"I… guess," Kitty whispered against his ear.

He rose up and jumped towards the roof of the Mansion, hearing Kitty yelp and tighten her arms around his neck. Making a point to be more careful he started to speed up towards his now usual route. With time, Kitty started to ease her hold on his neck, more comfortable with the unorthodox method of transportation.

Within time, that nervousness started to disappear as Naruto felt the arms ease their hold. At some point, Kitty even let out a " _Wooo!_ " and giggled every time he made a jump and he started to quicken up the pace until they reached the outer limits of the city.

"We're here!" said Naruto, letting go of Kitty's legs, "but unless we want people to take pictures of us, we're gonna need to go on the train or cab the rest of the way." There was also the fact that some people might recognize his jumping after the last weeks with Spiderman. Without his mask, that would be a bad thing.

"You lied, y'know?" giggled Kitty. "That wasn't bad at all."

Looking at her, Naruto let out a chuckle. "I thought most people would take time to get used to _shinobi_ transportation." He looked at the city and thought for a bit. "You know, if you can take that, maybe we can get even closer with another technique but… you don't like Kurt's teleportation, do you?"

Kitty shook her head. "Well it's not the teleportation itself, it's how he uses it to appear next to me all the time… that and the smell."

"Hold my hand," said Naruto, and she barely hesitated. Her hand was soft and small compared to his calloused one; it was to be expected with her not really used to combat. He held on tightly as he went about using the **Shunshin** technique. It was not really a teleportation technique as much as a high speed one, but with that kind of velocity, Kitty wouldn't have noticed. He went from rooftop to rooftop, as they were often empty, until they arrived at a Manhattan alleyway.

"Yeah… like, _waaay_ better than Kurt." Kitty looked around the city as soon as they left the empty alleyway. It almost reminded him of the way he looked at everything when he first left Konoha during Team Seven's first mission.

The next few hours consisted of Kitty dragging him to almost every clothing store she could find and asking his opinion about things. Like when he had done the same with Jean and Ororo, he really didn't know what to say aside from "you look good." Kitty looked a little more frustrated, though. Even more so when she went shopping for bathing suits.

"I think it would make me look fat? Do you think it'd make me look fat?" she asked while holding a pink colored two-piece.

Naruto shook his head. "No way. You'd look great in it." The thought of Kitty looking fat was ridiculous. She might've been the slimmest and nimblest girl he'd ever seen.

She nodded and put the suit on the cart before walking over to shoe area and he almost groaned. The last time he thought Jean and Ororo would take the least amount of time picking out footwear. Turns out they spent the same number of hours of the previous departments combined in picking out the ones they considered the best. Jean even stared at a pair of high-heeled sandals for thirty minutes. Thirty!

"I usually prefer sandals. I don't like closed footwear – makes my pedicure seem worthless" she sighed, "but winter is coming and we _do_ live in the Northern temperate zone. Plus, I'd rather not do combat training with my toes exposed." Even with her small rant, she ended up buying a diverse range of shoes, including a couple of pairs for ballet.

By the time they were done, he was holding around ten full bags of Kitty's purchases. Scott said that was the worst part of shopping with women but it barely taxed him.

"Hmm…" Kitty looked sheepishly him. "I guess I forgot about that we were gonna see a movie." Her cheeks turned a rose-colored tint. "Could I be any more forgetful?"

"Hey, it's no problem. Come here." He took her near an alleyway and he unfurled a small scroll. Thank goodness that Tenten had been patient enough to teach him about the most basic of sealing techniques. He grinned as Kitty's eyes widened once the bags disappeared into the scroll.

"Oh my _God_!" cried Kitty, trying to look where her purchases went. "Did… did they get _destroyed_?"

"No! They've been sealed inside." He summoned back the bags to demonstrate and then sealed them back again. "It's a technique from back home so that we don't have to carry everything everywhere."

Kitty's mouth dropped in amazement. "Do… do you know just how _useful_ that is? People would kill in order to get technology that did something similar to that. There were even articles about an experiment a scientist was doing to reduce the size of organic matter… and you can just like, put them in, what? A pocket dimension?"

Naruto just shrugged his shoulders sheepishly. "I'm awesome?"

"That is like, totally super awesome!"

Naruto mentally gave a fist pump. He couldn't help it, but every time he was complimented by people on this planet it never failed to send a warm, tingly feeling through his body, and he'd been complimented a lot of times since arriving here. For some reason, being complimented by a pretty girl his age made it even better. _'Eat your heart out, Sasuke.'_

They walked around, asking around for a place where they could see a movie when Naruto saw the familiar sight of the Baxter building near Central Park. "You think we can make a small detour?" Kitty nodded and they both went towards the home of the Fantastic Four.

"Y'know, when I woke up a week back, I could never have believed that I'd be like, meeting a bunch of superhero celebrities," said Kitty after they were confirmed to go in. Most people would usually be turned away, but he was a special exception.

"Hey!" came the energetic voice of Johnny Storm. He was lounging on a couch, reading a sports car magazine. "Guess you finally decided to visit," he gave Naruto a teasing smirk, "isn't it a bit rude to bring in another girl when you want to date Sue?"

Naruto tried to stammer out a response but after a few sputtering attempts, he settled on a glare. If anything, it made Johnny laugh even louder but even that stopped when he heard a growl from another room.

The… _thing_ that came into view was apparently similar to a massive man. That is, unless one were to count out the fact that the skin had been replaced by orange colored stone. Each step he made the whole room vibrate like a small earthquake and his voice was gruff and… _rocky_. Worst of all, he seemed really mad.

"Ya damned plague! I know you're the one that replaced the sugar with salt this mornin'. I've had it with your –" He looked at Naruto. "An' who is this? Some friend of yours come to annoy the hell outta me as well?"

"He's my friend… but he's also Reed's friend," responded Johnny before smirking at Naruto, "and Sue's _very_ good friend."

The scene turned comical when the rock-man turned sheepish. "Aw… sorry 'bout that. I've been dealin' with them Yancy Street yahoos more than I'd like." He gave them a grave look. "Stay outta that lousy Yancy Street."

Having never heard of Yancy Street, Naruto didn't have any judgements on it, but it definitely wasn't getting good publicity. He nodded slowly.

"Sorry, but your visit was wasted – Stretcho is doin' some fancy-ass presentation in Europe. He left Sue behind to run things." He thrust his hand forward. "Ben Grimm."

' _So, this is the member I still hadn't met. He definitely got the most visible of all the powers.'_ Naruto firmly grabbed the rock-hard hand."Naruto Uzumaki, and she's Kitty Pryde."

Despite his appearance, Ben Grimm turned out to be something of a bit softie. Yet beneath that rocky exterior, Naruto could detect something similar to sadness. Perhaps it was because of the new appearance his body had taken? Being seen as a monster was definitely something Naruto felt he could understand

The sound of the elevator opening heralded the arrival of Sue Storm, her hands full with grocery bags. "There you are," she sighed exhaustedly. "Neither of you refined, strong men were kind enough to come with me to do groceries so at least you can get them from the car… oh hi, Naruto!"

"Ya know I don't like showin' this mug around," said Ben.

Susan turned to her brother.

Johnny waved his hands. "I was at the garage, sis." If anything, this response made Sue's glare get even harsher.

Naruto raised his hand. "I'll go get them for you." He made a hand seal and spawned a several clones who promptly went down the elevator while he took Sue's bags himself and went to the pantry.

From the kitchen, his hearing was enough to hear Johnny chuckling. "See, sis? Your little boyfriend will take care of it."

"Well at least he is behaving like a gentleman. It's more than can be said about you, Johnny."

Kitty's voice joined in. "Naruto _is_ a gentleman," she almost whispered _"Too bad he's a little dense."_

' _Dense? Am I missing something_. _'_ "That's the first time I've been called a gentleman," said Naruto once he returned.

The petite mutant squeaked. "Y-yeah… I mean you're really nice!" Her face turned an unnatural shade of red. "A-Anyways… so like, I'm super excited to meet you guys! Naruto told me tons about you."

"Good things, I hope," said Sue, smiling once she saw the Naruto clones coming up, their hands full of grocery bags. "That is a rather useful skill. Should make cleaning a breeze." She sent a dirty look to both Johnny and Ben. "Then again, _I_ wouldn't have that much trouble if there was more help around."

"Hire a maid! Or tell Stretcho to build somethin' useful for once and create a cleanin' robot," ranted Ben. "'Sides, I would jus' break those fancy brooms an' mops you bought."

Sue looked like she wanted to tug at her hair. "You know what?! You two keep the place clean! That goes for Reed as well when he comes back – I'm taking a break!" She walked to the elevator and looked at Naruto and Kitty, nodding at them to follow her. "And I'm not cooking for a month, either!"

Naruto did not say anything to Sue during the ride down. She looked like she wanted to explode… even more than back then. She finally exhaled in frustration when they were out of the building.

"What were the two of you doing… besides trying to get into contact with the esteemed _Dr. Richards_?" she said, gritting the last part through her teeth.

"Naruto was taking me out shopping," gushed Kitty with a girly giggle. "Then we were going to go out for a movie. I think we still have enough money."

Money. That was something that had been bugging Naruto for a while. Before becoming a _shinobi_ , he was able to live thanks to weekly stipend given to him by the Old Man Hokage. Once he graduated that stipend ended but he then earned his money with the missions. It was lousy pay at first with all the D-ranks but it was nice to not have to rely on others for his basic necessities.

Now, it was like he was back in square one with the Professor giving him, Scott, and Ororo – the orphans – a weekly allowance for their needs. Naruto was unsatisfied with the setback, especially when he wanted some spending money to buy stuff for his nightly excursions. Kurt, Kitty, and Jean received money directly from their parents.

' _How do I use my skills to earn money?'_ A question for another time, but sometimes seeing those stacks of green bills he and Spiderman discovered with the crooks made him think irrationally.

"Did you leave you bags in the building?" asked Sue, annoyance back in her voice. "Please don't take it the wrong way if I don't accompany you back there. In fact, I think I could use a little retreat upstate for a few days while the _boys_ decide to pull their own weight."

"Oh, Naruto is carrying them," said Kitty, nudging at him. "He has a little trick up his sleeve. It's totally amazing!"

It was pretty clear that there was no way he was going to leave Sue with a question mark over her head, so Naruto retreated to a nearby alley and showed her the sealing technique.

"That's… amazing," gasped Sue.

"I know! Totally, right!" raved Kitty. "I don't think I'll have to worry about buying too much now."

Sue's shocked face slowly turned into a smile; her eyes gleaming. "Well… I don't intend to be a third wheel… but I've been eyeing this dress a few blocks from here, and then there's this shoe store… and I really like this pearl necklace they have on sale near Central Park."

Naruto grumbled. _'From a shinobi to a glorified shopping cart.'_

At least the company was nice.

* * *

Monday saw the start of a new week, and with that, a bunch of grumbled, half-awake students that trudged along towards the school. Normally Naruto would be the same, but he today was the day he met most of the clubs he was now in.

The science club was the best, but the most disorganized. Mainly because "science" was a broad umbrella term for everything that included biology, physics, and chemistry. During the first day, most students seemed to have congregated into the groups that were interested in the same areas that they were interested in. Naruto made sure to spend a little time with each of them.

The art club was much more uniform, and they even got some tips along with complementary sketchbooks and pencils. Math club made his head spin a little; the clones would be getting a lot of work from activities of this particular group.

Kitty looked exhausted by the time she was done with her dance class, but despite that she was actually happy. "I've never had a workout like that in my life. My legs are on fire and my arms feel like lead… but I actually kind of liked it." She smiled. "Maybe I'm a bit of a masochist."

"Maso-what?"

"Nothing!" She grabbed her bag. "I'm so tired right now. Just wanna get to my room, do homework and sleep a bit before Logan tortures us to death."

"Scott already went out… and the car with him." He didn't like these high-tech transportation methods, but The Professor had insisted that they remain inconspicuous.

Kitty smirked and grabbed his arm. "We still have the Naruto Express," she whispered into his ear. "I kind of prefer it to Scott's little compensation machine."

Naruto only thought about it for a little while before he returned the smile. "Hop on." He looked around and checked that nobody was watching but before he even had the chance to jump, a voice rang in his head.

" _Professor?! Naruto?! I need help!"_ Her voice was frantic in a way Naruto would never had expected from someone like Jean. _"Please help!"_

" _Where are you? Jean? Jean?!"_ he asked. Besides him, Kitty realized that something had gone wrong. "It's Jean… she's in trouble." Naruto's blue eyes met her hazel ones and with as best a commanding voice as he could muster, he ordered, "See if you can find Kurt and transport to the Mansion. I'm going to try and find Jean. Ororo must be here somewhere, too."

"I won't leave you alone!" she responded, holding onto his arm. "She can call to The Professor, right?"

"We have to be sure that there's backup – we don't know what's happening there. We may need everyone."

"But –"

"Kitty," he said gravely. "Go."

If Kitty still wanted to argue, she did not, but worrying looks were still there. "Be careful," she whispered before sprinting to look for help.

Naruto clenched his fists, concentrating to try and locate the source but it was getting weaker by the moment. _"Jean?! Where are you?!"_ She had gone quiet, and his head hurt from trying to figure out where she was but through the pain, he finally found an echo.

He sprinted at direction of one of the more run-down areas, nearly on the outskirts of the town, he quickly looked at the debris left behind from a construction. _'She must have fought here,'_ and clearly her opponent was not the brightest of kidnappers; there were dusty footprints leading away from the place. The trail continued differently but with similar signs: broken branches, trampled grass, and at one point he even found some candy wrappings in between.

" _Help!"_ Jean's voice returned, enough for Naruto to relocate the source and his eyes eventually met some run-down buildings. It was the old abandoned ironworks factory. Nobody went there anymore, and the foundation was so unstable that even young people didn't use it as a hangout. It only meant one thing: it was perfect for the city's miscreants to conduct shady business.

" _I'm coming!"_ He tried make his consciousness reach The Professor but it was too far away. _"Damn it! I need to train better with this!"_ Not being able to contact the rest of the team was bad, but he could not stop now that he was about to reach Jean.

The trail led to one of the smaller buildings, probably a place for administrators; they'd have the most luxurious accommodations. The entrance was closed with a wooden door but a quick Rasengan made short work of that.

Naruto rushed in; his mind solely focused on one thing: to protect. Protect one of the people that accepted him so easily and without asking for anything in return. Through the debris, the first thing that popped into view was the dumb, deer-in-the-headlights look of Fred Dukes.

"Where is Jean?!" growled Naruto, feeling his eyes turn sharper. Behind the lumbering mass Fred, he noticed a faint glow.

"Naruto! I'm here!" came Jean's voice. "Be careful!"

Fred Dukes' face went from stupid to stupidly angry. "What are you doing here?! You're spoiling our date!"

"Date? I've never heard of a date where one side didn't agree to it!" yelled Naruto, trying to find the best way to get to Jean. "If you don't let Jean go then I'll give you the beating of your life… _Blob!_ "

"Shut up!" growled Fred as he charged towards Naruto. "Jean is with me!"

Naruto's instincts took over, enhanced by his eyes, but even a chakra powered kick to Fred's face seemed to do no damage. _'This guy… a kick of that force would have killed a regular Earth human.'_

Even so, Fred grimaced. "You hit pretty hard!" he said angrily before attempting to clumsily grab Naruto's leg, but was unable to at the last minute, "but you're still a little gnat!" He grabbed a big piece of machinery with seemingly no effort and attempted to throw it at the blonde.

Naruto would have almost laughed. Despite his hulking form and incredible resilience, it did not make Fred any faster or graceful. He could have walked and still miss the massive gear sent at his way. Even if he couldn't figure out a way to hurt his opponent, clearly evasion wasn't going to be a problem. "I don't know what you want to do after school, but baseball pitcher is definitely out of the question!"

That definitely angered Fred who began to throw more pieces, and the more objects he hurled at Naruto, the more inaccurate he was becoming. Unfortunately, the heavy pieces of metal he was throwing had to hit _something_ and that something was unfortunately the already feeble structure of the building.

" _You won't be able to beat him on a physical fight,"_ Jean communicated into Naruto's mind. _"Keep him occupied… I'll try to get into his mind and make him stop."_ Mind control… it was too dangerous. If the Professor was to be believed, it was also immoral.

But Jean was in danger.

" _Alright!"_ he responded. The life of Jean was more important than the rules.

He got more aggressive with his moves, going for cheap shots that were meant more to annoy than to harm, but Fred Dukes could never be accused of being subdued, especially when one was to pester him. Anger was good; it would make it easier for Jean to access a distracted mind.

" _Are you getting close?"_ Naruto looked at the state of the building; any more damage and it would come crashing down on top of them. _"I'm not going to let you get buried in here!"_

As a response Jean grunted in frustration and pain. _"I… I need your help. If we can both link with each other…"_

Naruto grit his teeth, trying to find a way to get Fred distracted long enough so he might go to Jean. He needed to get him _out_ of the building for a bit. He felt pretty dumb that he had to think so hard about it but sighed and hid before creating a clone. "You know what to do."

The clone nodded and jumped from cover and landed just outside the building, still visible enough for Fred. "Hey fatass!" mocked the clone. "How about you leave your mancave and lose some of that weight out here!" It was an insult once thrown at Chōji; it took the combined efforts of Naruto, Kiba, and Shikamaru to calm the Akimichi heir down. Fred Dukes didn't have the kind temperament of Naruto's big-boned friend.

"I'm going to kill you!" roared Fred as he charged at the clone, leading him outside the building. Naruto smirked, hearing the destruction that was being caused outside; the perfect distraction.

He left the cover, going to the source of the light and was greeted by the sight of Jean tied down with a steel beam to a chair, candles all around the room. _'Jeez, I'm not good at this and even I know that this is creepy as hell.'_ "Jean! You're alright!"

"Yeah… he didn't hurt me," sighed Jean. "How did you distract him? No matter – help me take this stuff off."

Naruto nodded and quickly used his superior strength to bend the beam back to its original position, freeing the redhead from the chair. "There we go. Now… time to go and deal with the big guy!"

"No," said Jean, her voice low. "If we can get out before –"

She was interrupted by the sound of Fred Dukes reentering the building, this time carrying a big metal dumpster bin. "You!" he barked at Jean. "You lied to me! You said you were my friend!"

"Friends don't hurt each other," lectured Jean through gritted teeth. "Let it go Fred. You've already lost me as a friend but you _don't_ want to make me your enemy."

Naruto slammed a fist to his palm. "If you go against her, you go against me."

The warnings did nothing to deter Fred from raising the bin above them. Naruto immediately sprung to action and grabbed Jean, flickering outside the building. "Run!" he told her, hearing Fred's angered roars.

"We're out of there. Come with me and let's go back to the Institute," urged Jean, grabbing his arm.

Naruto shook his head, pointing at Fred. "That guy's out of his mind. He'll rampage all the way to town… people will be hurt – I need to grab his attention."

Jean was silent for a moment. "You don't care if you get hurt?"

He shook his head. "Better me than you… or anyone else. I can take it." Jean did not leave, however. In fact, Naruto felt a warm hold tightly to his own. His blue eyes turned to see her green ones; both sets of orbs brimming with determination.

"I'm staying with you," stated Jean, the strength in her voice was enough for Naruto to know that there would be no arguing, so he did not. "We're doing this together."

"Together," affirmed Naruto but inside he was a little nervous. Mind powers were so far his weakness, he had barely managed to transmit memory to a rodent and now he was meant to stop an angry mutant that could withstand any attack that he had tried.

"Remember to calm down and concentrate," said Jean, focusing on the massive figure of Fred charging at them like an out-of-control train.

Naruto could feel Jean opening her mind to him at a much higher level that it had been before. He knew that this was a vulnerable position she had put herself in, so he did not pry any further than he needed to. Both minds were now directed at furious enemy going towards them. He let Jean take the lead, being that she was the more experienced one. A good idea too, considering the fiery storm that was Fred Dukes' mind.

" _Calm down, Fred."_ Jean's voice was soft, but also resolute. _"Stop running and sit down… now!"_

Naruto took the brunt of the rage, but he still felt the very delicate dance that Jean was playing in order to calm down Fred. His grip on her hand tightened, and she returned it. It started slow, but soon enough the tempest began to recede, turning the once raging mutant more and more docile, like a baby going to sleep after a particularly nasty temper tantrum.

" _Go to sleep,"_ Jean finished and severed the mind links.

Naruto took deep breath, feeling a bit tired, but Jean was even more so. He moved quickly, and broke her fall just as she was about to hit the ground.

"Let me… let me just lay here for a bit," sighed Jean, looking like she was about to go to sleep. "Thank you."

"No problem," responded Naruto, fighting his exhaustion just in case Fred decided to wake up and resume the rampage. "There was no way I was going to leave you here."

"Not just that," said Jean, her body felt more relaxed now. "You refused to let him rampage into town – most people wouldn't stay and fight. You did."

Naruto chuckled. "I'm not going to just let innocent people be harmed, especially not if one of those people could've been you or anyone else at the Institute."

"Logan will give you an earful, you know. He's always said that if there's danger then you need to get the rest of the team together."

He breathed deeply. "My _sensei_ once said that those who break the rules are trash… but those that leave their comrades behind are even lower than trash." He laughed. "And you know Logan would charge in solo if he were in my shoes, despite what he says."

Jean let out a tired giggle. "Yeah. You're right." Slowly, she started to get up from the ground with Naruto's help. "You're really dependable, you know?"

"Of course, I am!"

"I mean it. When I sent out that signal, I thought the Professor would take a lot of time to find me. I thought for sure that I'd be at least a couple of hours in that place… you found me so quickly."

Naruto puffed his chest. "I have a lot of skills, Jean-chan."

"You do… I guess there's a lot more to you than I initially thought."

The sounds of a loud motorcycle interrupted anything Naruto might say. From the distance, he managed to see Logan speeding towards them, and trailing behind was Scott's flashy car, with Kurt and Kitty aboard. Up above, Ororo was fully decked as Storm and flying through the air.

"Looks like the reinforcements have arrived," joked Jean. "Someone should have told them you were enough."

Naruto sniggered and helped Jean slowly walk towards the rest of the oncoming mutants. It made him feel nostalgic for times past; memories of a planet far away.

' _The X-Men,'_ he thought, looking at all of them, greeting sheepishly when they came together. _'My team… my friends.'_

* * *

The week went by much faster after the whole debacle with Fred Dukes. Jean recovered after a day but was occupied with her soccer team and studies. Kitty was also very tired with the combination of dance classes and Logan's training. Naruto didn't really break a sweat with most of the Danger Room exercises, but the same could not be said about the Professor's lessons. The only other thing of note was that he finally got the chance to go to that burger place Kurt was always sneaking to.

However, once Friday hit and the homework was finished, it was time to go back to his nighttime activities.

"There they go," said Spiderman, looking through a pair of binoculars at some shady looking men loading carts into a van. "Looks like the Italians."

Italian mafia, Irish mob, Mexican cartels, Russian Bratva. During the last month, Naruto had been learning all these names; different gangs that seemed to be divided by race, creeds, and traditions yet almost all of them were dealing with the same types of activities. Some were allies, some were rivals, some just tried to stay out of each other's way. According to Spiderman, these Italian guys were some of the more professional ones.

"Did you see what they were carrying?" asked Naruto. _'I really need money to buy my own pair.'_

"Nope, but I highly doubt they'd by lugging around assault rifles if they were transporting Twinkies, ninja-dude."

Naruto grumbled but nodded. "So, let's go and beat them up!"

"We could do that… _or_ we could tail them and see where they're taking the stuff," said Spiderman. "Then we can blow the whole operation off and not have to worry about them until some other gang takes over their trade."

"So… how's it been going?" asked Naruto as he sat down on the edge of the building both he and Spiderman were nesting in.

Spiderman chortled. "You want to start small-talk, ninja-dude? I'm not the best therapist."

"Waiting around is boring… I'm bored."

Spiderman hummed. "Did you hear about those new plans Tony Stark is having for high-schoolers? Grants, internships, and even paid scholarships?"

Of course, Naruto had heard of it; Jean and Kitty had both applied, and they pressured him to do the same thanks to his grades. "I'm still thinking about it." If he was considered as a candidate, he didn't want to take some poor sap's place while he went back to Konoha.

"It could be my chance, y'know? I don't have a lot of money… but that could be my ticket to a better job."

Naruto grunted. "Gonna be hard to juggle around a job and being Spiderman at the same time."

Spiderman sighed. "Tell me about it. I've been trying to find a way to make some extra cash but trying to keep a set time is like attempting to stop a dog from marking its territory. It's nearly impossible to –" He stopped talking and focused back on the binoculars. "Hold onto your hats – the wise guys are on the move." Putting the binoculars back on the bag, he jumped off the building.

Naruto jumped right after the red and blue wallcrawler, his red eyes fixed on the white van that was now driving through less crowded streets away from Queens and into what he recalled was Brooklyn, but even then, it did not stop there. After what seemed like an eternity, Naruto and Spiderman tried their best to discreetly follow through the bridge that led to Manhattan.

"Hell's Kitchen," Spiderman said with a grave tone so uncommon to the webslinger. "Get ready for anything in this neighborhood – we're far away from the small leagues now."

The van finally stopped in front of a run-down warehouse. Two armed men came out of a door and immediately opened the gate for the van to come in, closing it as soon as it entered and then going back inside.

"There's two guards on the roof, but that's all I can see," said Naruto, using his eyes to perceive two heavily armed men. "I'll take the one on the left."

"Let's get this over with, ninja-dude." Spiderman yawned. "I want to get back to snoozing."

Naruto stealthily jumped to the warehouse roof and took out the guard with ease, taking the rifle and using his strength to bend it until it was useless. A muffled thud made him know that Spiderman had taken care of his end. Looking carefully, Naruto noticed that there was a large window and gingerly crept towards it, getting a good look at the inside. A goon took of the top of a crate, and the blonde saw that it was filled with assault rifles.

"Weapons," said Spiderman once he managed to peek at the interior as well. "People around the world have been clamoring for more now that Stark has gone off that market. Guess these guys are taking care of the supply now."

"I'm going in," said Naruto. "Doesn't look like there's a lot of people around."

"It's almost easy," agreed Spiderman.

It was easy, way too easy for a warehouse that contained merchandise easily valued in the millions. Even the goons looked young and inexperienced, like they didn't even know how to hold their weapons effectively. "Is everybody else on lunch break?" asked Naruto.

"I dunno, let's just report this to Captain Stacy and get out of here. I don't really know any Manhattan officers to know if they're crooked or not." Spiderman then raised his head in alarm. "I knew this was too easy!"

Naruto felt it too. A quick activation of his eyes made him see it; dozens of people, all of them exiting from vans, all of them heavily armed. They moved quickly, like a professional team, blocking off every exit and swarming inside like wolves to an injured prey.

It was a trap.

"Got 'em, boss!" barked one of them, turning to man dressed in a fancy suit.

The supposed leader took a drag from a fat cigar. "So, you two are the ones that've been giving the Don such a hard time." He took another drag. "Such a shame… but you should've known not to mess with the Maggia."

Naruto tried his best to stay calm and look at a place where he might take cover, but every corner of the warehouse seemed to a have the business end of at least one rifle pointed against it. He could get to Spiderman with a **Sunshin** and try to get away, but a single bad move and his blue and red clad friend would end up full of holes.

"You know the Don's orders – don't make too much of a mess." The sharply-dressed man took a final drag of his cigar before leaving, shutting the door behind him. The sounds of cocking guns were heard all around the warehouse.

Then, everything went black; the lights had been snuffed out.

Naruto immediately puffed out of the way before the deafening sounds of rifle fire heralded the lead projectiles that would've torn even his own enhanced body to shreds. He barely had enough time to confirm that Spiderman had also sprung into action and was now picking the goons one by one with the darkness on their side.

Through the blurry black mire, Naruto's eyes managed to notice the presence of another person. This one seemed to move through the darkness like it was a bright, sunny day. The newcomer didn't even finish beating one goon before detecting another one and delivering a heavy pummeling with a blunt weapon.

Shots kept on getting fired, but thanks to the speed and skills of their opponents, most of the goons ended up hitting either the walls or their own comrades, and not one time did they hit their intended targets.

The sounds of gunfire got progressively less pronounced. Some of the smarter thugs decided to bail; the stupider ones were either convinced that they would be able to finish their job or were too afraid of returning to their boss with failure. Whatever might have been the case, muted painful moans soon reigned over the warehouse.

"Yeah… that's Hell's Kitchen for you," grunted Spiderman, looking for a place to turn on the lights. "You go out looking for bacon… and you get the whole damn pig. Good thing we had the devil himself on our side." He quickly found the switch where Naruto first felt the presence of the newcomer.

"This is not your place." That was the first thing Naruto heard from the clearly older man. "You two are meant to be taking out bike thieves and purse snatchers… not one of the most powerful criminal organizations in the world."

The man in question was dressed in a crimson outfit so dark that it almost turned black in the right lighting. The suit perfectly accentuated the powerful frame; the only place that was not covered was the lower face. The pattern of dark red was interrupted in one place: the eyes were bright ruby, like they were the gaze of a demon from the darkest depths of an abyss.

"Who are you?" asked Naruto, his posture still ready for action.

Spiderman landed besides him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Ninja-dude… meet the Devil of Hell's Kitchen."

* * *

Most people would be too afraid to do James Wesley's job. Indeed, working for someone as erratic as Wesley's boss was usually a death sentence if bad news were to be ever delivered, but he was someone that had a wide array of skills not commonly seen in the underworld of New York City. Skills that made sure even someone like the Kingpin would appreciate enough to not dispose of him if things did not go exactly according to plan.

"The Maggia are getting frustrated again," he said to the massive silhouette that was overlooking Manhattan, cigar smoke wafting in the air. "They've been unable to take down the vigilantes that have begun to operate recently. The Don is getting louder… so loud that I fear our law enforcement friends will not be able to keep quiet."

At first, the only response was loud drag of an expensive cigar. More of the heavy smoke soon followed; the figure still by the plexiglass wall. "Silvermane has never taken failure well… he will raise hell before being allowing any slight against him… even if it puts the rest of the organization at risk."

"Our contacts in the government have been trying to feed us information about the three… agitators… so far nothing. It seems they're smart enough not to show anyone their identity." A shame; it'd be easier to go after their families. "I'll talk to our teams to make better efforts to take them out."

"No," came the firm voice of the massive man. "I think we might use this to our advantage."

"Are… you sure that's wise?" It wasn't really a question. Once his boss had a plan, there could scarcely be a chance to convince otherwise.

"Our… nature as humans is to immediately seek and put down the rabid dogs… the diseases and plagues that start to fester in our homes. But," another loud drag of the cigar, "what if the disease could be controlled and… directed to another place."

"A seemingly wise decision – doubtless what the Tatars were thinking when they threw those plague-ridden corpses over the walls of their enemies. The problem is, of course, that sometimes the plague bites _back._ "

"That's why we find a way to cure the disease before it spreads to us." There was a final drag of the cigar before the figure finally moved from his position. One might think that Wilson Fisk was morbidly obese, but they would think twice of attacking him if they knew that what they thought was fat was in fact pure muscle. "Silvermane… the Russians…the Mexicans… the Irish – I do not believe myself to be the same as these people. They have no vision. No plans to better the lives of the people of this city. They rape it every day and I do believe that they've been indulged for too long."

The Kingpin slammed his hand on the table. "Let them be loud. So loud that they can be put down even in the darkest night. Our masked freaks can help us with them… and our friends in the NYPD can take care of the rest."

Wesley closed his eyes and gave a slight nod. "Before I go… about the failure of Mr. Smith."

"He has a son, does he not?"

"Two."

"Go for the younger one… a broken limb can give quite a scare to a father."

Wesley gave another nod and was about to leave the office before turning back one last time. "Which limb, Mr. Fisk?"

"All of them."

* * *

 **AN: Hope you all liked it. Please leave a review, I'm always looking for constructive criticism on what I did well and what can be improved.**

 **Join my Discord server if you're interested.**

 **Link:** FEKnu79


	8. The Rogue

**Naruto and Marvel belong to Masashi Kishimoto and Disney respectively.**

 **AN: Special thanks to Meneldur for helping to beta the story and giving me plenty of ideas.**

 **Heir of the Sage**

 **Chapter VIII: The Rogue**

Naruto effortlessly dodged yet another red beam that was sent his way. Even without the Sharingan activated, it was quite easy to evade the kinds of things that the others seemed to have so much difficulty with.

At Naruto's side, he saw Kitty jumping and landing face down on the ground before the crimson ray of energy hit her. She had just enough time to use her powers and phase through another projectile, letting out an involuntary scream. Kurt was just teleporting around, but Naruto could feel the tiredness coming from the blue-skinned teen.

Kitty stood up and was apparently giving up on dodging, relying on her phasing ability to prevent the beam rays from hitting her. Every power took its toll, however, and she soon looked like she was about to collapse from exhaustion. Naruto had just enough time to jump to her location and grab the petite girl before jumping to safety.

"Thanks," Kitty whispered tiredly. "Do you mind if I just collapse now?"

"Eh?! Tired already?"

"Not all of us are stamina freaks from another planet. Some of us are like, actually human," grumbled Kitty, staying silent for a few seconds before adding, "Well… close to human anyways."

More turrets appeared from the walls; the business end of the barrels already teeming with crimson red energy but before they could fire, Logan's voice rang from the speakers. "Session is over. Come to the control room."

"Ugh… finally," sighed Kitty before collapsing down on Naruto's arms.

"Err…" Naruto stared at the sleeping girl, thinking of a way he could wake her up. He ended up doing nothing, just doing a _shunshin_ to the control room where everybody in the team was already waiting. The Professor looked to be in deep concentration and Logan was looking at the TV, seeing a conversation between a young reporter and a middle-aged man.

"I am now with the publisher of the Daily Bugle – the esteemed Mr. Jameson." She turned from the camera to the aforementioned man. "Mr. Jameson, what are your thoughts on these recent reports of masked vigilantes taking the law into their own hands."

"They're a menace!" thundered Mr. Jameson, eyes looking like they were about to pop out from their sockets. "These masked ruffians are nothing but trouble, I tell you! This fine city already has a police force worthy of its name. Why do these miscreants feel the need to showboat while putting innocent people at risk?"

"But there's also the Fantastic Four, and they just saved thousands by dealing with the mystery of the massive sinkholes that have been appearing across the world."

"They are different. We know who they are, and they are beholden to government of these great United States. Why does this Spiderman not show his face? Why does this so-called Daredevil hide his identity? And who is this Maelstrom I keep hearing about? What do they have planned that they're so scared to face the public? They're criminals, that's who they are! Vigilantes! Outlaws! The streets will be safer once these weirdos are out of the picture!"

' _At least we're getting recognized,'_ Naruto grumbled. The television was now showing several pictures that must've been taken without them noticing it. Embarrassingly, there was a snapshot of him carrying a whole box of pizza while jumping from one rooftop to another.

"Do you think they are mutants?" questioned Kurt who had somehow gotten his hands on a giant sandwich.

"The two wearing hand-me downs? Maybe," Logan responded in his usual gruff tone. "The older one? Nah… that's just good old training at work from what I've seen."

Before the conversation could continue, the Professor got out of his psychic trance. "Cerebro has detected a new individual in Mississippi. We need to go for her… immediately."

"What?!" sighed Kitty, showing little signs of the previous exhaustion. "I'm sorry Professor but we just went through a four-hour intense training session under Logan… mind if I drop out of this one?"

"The flight will take a few hours and you can rest while we get there. I expect all of you in twenty minutes." With that, he left the room and the rest of the team behind.

"Ugh… at least let me take a quick shower." Naruto was about to set her down but she shook her head. "No… take me there, pretty please. You're really comfy."

"Spoiled," muttered Logan while Kurt just laughed.

Another quick _shunshin_ and he deposited Kitty outside her room before going to his own. It was a good idea to have a shower and to change to a secondary outfit.

The X-Men uniform was certainly a lot better than the outfit he wore during his nightly escapades. Form fitting and tear resistant, it such a shame that he couldn't use it unless ordered by the Professor. Too bad he was terrible a knitting anything new the way Spiderman had mentioned he was doing.

"I'll wake you up when we get there," he said to Kitty, letting her rest between two seats before taking a seat himself besides the Professor. "Why are we responding to this so quickly, Professor?"

"She's… afraid. Afraid, alone, and disturbed. She's a danger to herself and others. Already I detected that great harm has been done to one individual, and there may be more later. Right now, she's gone rogue. You can imagine how dangerous that can be with untrained powers."

"So… we're trying to convince this rogue to come to our side?" asked Jean. "How do we approach this?"

"Keep your distance, try to use words. We still do not know what her powers are or what harm it can pose to people. Do not agitate her."

Scott interrupted with a humorless chuckle. "You talk of her like she's some sort of animal."

In response, Logan gave a low grumble. "When it comes right down to it, you'll find that people are not that different from animals. Especially when one finds herself cornered."

The next couple of hours consisted of them resting for the late-night mission. Luckily, there were emergency rations in the Blackbird, enough to give them a bit of energy before they arrived at the surprisingly hot and humid southern state.

"So tired," groaned Kitty once she was nudged awake by Naruto. "Let's just go and get this over with so I can go back to bed. I got dance classes tomorrow and I swear to God that I'm gonna die if I go this exhausted."

They hid the Blackbird in an isolated area while the Professor ordered Jean and Scott to go to the hospital where the rogue mutant's victim was. A few minutes later and a location was sent to the rest of the team to some typical middle-class suburban home. It didn't take them long to see that the property showed signs of forced entry.

"Be careful!" growled Wolverine before issuing orders. "Storm, take to the skies for recon. Shinobi, you go behind the house and wait." He glanced at Shadowcat and Nightcrawler. "You two, with me."

"Hey, since when am I being called 'Shinobi'?"

"You took your sweet time to pick a codename, _gaki_. I'm either calling you that or 'Brat'. You decide."

"So lame. Everybody's got a cool nickname except me,"sulked Naruto before he went to behind the house and waited for anything to appear but the only person to come out of the ransacked building was Shadowcat, who shook his head at him.

"I see something!" Storm shouted from above. "Four houses north of here! I see flashes!"

"Let's go!" barked Wolverine, literally sprinting towards the place Storm had signaled. If there was an obstacle in place, he just jumped over it, as did Naruto. Nightcrawler would use his teleportation abilities, and Shadowcat would phase through the walls.

It was night, but the streetlights were enough for Naruto to see her. Pale skin and auburn hair with a white streak in her bangs. She was shorter than both Jean and Ororo, but much taller than Kitty, especially with the platform boots she was wearing.

The wardrobe was what really made Naruto curious. Even in this damp and humid weather, she was almost completely covered up with the head being the only exception. There were even leather gloves on her hands. On further inspection, her upper body was mostly covered with a green, sheer-like fabric, but it still seemed a bit like overkill in this climate.

The rogue was talking to a woman who – given the dark-colored glasses and walking stick – was probably blind, but turned to see them and her face immediately went from visibly frantic, to downright terrified. She bolted before they even had a chance to approach her.

"Wait!" Nightcrawler grabbed Wolverine's shoulder. "She's scared of you. Let _me_ try," he said while clicking on his watch, going into his more human form.

Naruto pushed chakra into his eyes and started tracking the many signatures that were nearby. Even with the amount, most were asleep at this hour; only one was currently running across alleyways and backstreets.

No… there was also another significant one. Just behind the fleeing rogue, in fact. One that he had felt before.

Wolverine let out an annoyed grumble before speaking. "Alright, I'll go look for Chuck." He turned towards Naruto. "Shinobi?"

"I'm seeing another signature… it's following her." Looking at the rest of the team, he pointed at the direction. "I'm gonna go after the pursuer – the rest of you go after her."

"You're not going alone, kid. Tell Storm to go after you." Logan turned to the Shadowcat and Nightcrawler. "Don't frighten her… and look after the half-pint, would you?"

"Hey!" responded Kitty's indignant voice.

" _Storm?"_ Naruto called, his eyes looking at the figure in the sky.

" _Yes?"_

" _Do you see someone following behind the rogue?"_

There was silence for a moment before Storm responded. _"I see her now – she's changing shapes… now she's taking_ my _appearance!"_ Naruto had never heard her be so angry before. She immediately stopped her role as reconnaissance and made a bee-line for the location of the mysterious pursuer.

" _Wait!"_ warned Naruto but no response came back. He jumped from his position and immediately rushed to where Storm was descending.

The white-haired woman may have had the gift of flight, but Naruto's chakra enhanced speed was enough to win the race. To her credit, Storm looked a lot calmer when she landed, but her jaw was still tightened and her now white eyes appeared to be ready to cut steel. The blonde's attention was captivated by his teammate for only a few seconds before turning to the opponent.

At first, a perfect mirror image of Ororo was staring back, but upon seeing her opponents, she started to shift her appearance again. Dark red was the color of her long hair, with blue skin and golden eyes. A white outfit enveloped her body, contrasting with her skin. Around her waist was a belt of skulls. "Mr. Uzumaki… Ms. Munroe. So… disappointing," she drawled.

"Who are you?" Storm demanded, doing an admittedly good job at controlling herself.

The woman gave a smirk with a sadistic edge. "Oh… did Charles never tell you about me? Such a shame. One would think that he would have informed his subordinates better. Then again, he always kept his cards close to his chest."

Naruto slammed his fist against his palm. "No matter. You're going down, lady!" He charged at her, trying to send a kick to her stomach but the woman was surprisingly good at dodging, possessing a very flexible body. At one point, she even had _him_ at the defensive.

"You've been using tricks to scare her away," Storm interjected after only a few moments of the light clash. "Dishonorable… and unacceptable."

Mystique let out a dark chuckle. "That's rich coming from your side. How many telepaths does Charles now control? How many times has he used it to his advantage? Do not fool yourself into believing that we're the only side that uses tricks to get what they need."

Naruto felt a little confused. "Tricks? What tricks?" He felt small when both women looked at him incredulously.

After the dead silence, Storm laid it out on Naruto. "She's been shapeshifting into our forms and attacking the rogue to make it seem that we are the enemies," she stated.

The gears finally turned inside Naruto's head. "Ah! I see!" He pointed an accusing finger the blue-skinned woman. "That's dirty!"

"Such childishness," mocked Mystique, skin turning white and her hair blonde until a perfect replica of Naruto stood where her true form had once been. "I'll have to use you now – with any hope, you'll understand."

Naruto grit his teeth but the anger did not prevent him from thinking fast. He summoned two clones. "You're not the only one who can do dirty tricks," he said before both replicas transformed. One took Mystique's true form, with blue skin, crimson red hair, and yellow eyes; the other took the appearance of principal Raven Darkholme.

"What?!" Mystique sounded both surprised but mostly infuriated; the adult version of a kid that had their candy taken away. "Don't… you… dare!" she growled. To Naruto's annoyance, it was still in his voice.

"Too late!" mocked the clones before they jumped out of sight while the original stayed behind with Storm and Mystique; the latter dropping her Naruto disguise in lieu of the normal, blue-skinned appearance.

"When I kill you," growled Mystique, eyes like a bright yellow venom, "I will do it slowly."

"I'd love to see you try!" taunted Naruto, sticking out his tongue.

Ororo intervened, her anger was now replaced by her usual stoic demeanor. "I think you have lost. Best for you to go away before I lose my temper again."

"You are all children, following a blind man into oblivion," spat Mystique. "Do not think that you have won, for the true war is yet to come, and you if you do not grow – you will perish." She threw a bomb into the ground, smoke filling the area. When it was gone, she was nowhere to be found.

Naruto was about to comment on his triumph before the memories of his clones came back. He turned towards Storm. "Well, she might be scared of some of us, but she's pissed off at Mystique and Principal Darkholme."

"What did you to her?"

" _Mystique_ ," Naruto clarified, "showered her with toilet paper."

"Naruto…"

Naruto put his hands up defensively. "Hey, look at it this way – there's no way she's going with Mystique now." Ororo still looked at him sternly but eventually sighed and took to the skies.

' _Even this planet can't appreciate a good prank,'_ Naruto grumbled to himself, jumping from his location, tracing the chakra signatures until he found the runaway rogue once again. It was not long until he found his target.

She was stomping around a backyard, looking like she wanted to murder someone; discarded toilet paper strewn behind her. After a closer look Naruto saw that she was wearing a black skirt, stockings, and halter top, with a green sheer see-through blouse covering the rest of her upper body. Gloves on her hands completed the outfit.

Naruto landed just a few feet away from her. "Hey!" He saw her turn around, jade eyes flashing at him angrily.

"Who are you? Another person that's goin' to pile on me today?" she definitely sounded pissed. Pissed, but exhausted more than anything.

Raising his hand nonchalantly, Naruto introduced himself. "Naruto Uzumaki – awesome shinobi, future Hokage, and member of the X-Men."

"X-Men?!" she asked, adding fear into the mix. "You're the people tryin' to kill me!"

Naruto shook his head. "No! You got it all wrong." But it was too late; the rogue resumed her retreat again. Grunting, he followed after her. "We're not trying to hurt you! We're friends!" He eventually cornered her near an abandoned field.

She was haggard; breathing deeply and dark bags under her eyes. Green eyes, however, were still brimming with the will to survive. "Ah'm warnin' you!" She took out one of her gloves and held her palm like a weapon.

Not backing down, Naruto walked towards her. "I promise that I won't harm you… but we need to get out of here." He quickly got close, until she had her back pressed against a fence. "Come with me."

"No… please, just leave me be!" she yelled while quickly putting her hand on his cheek.

Naruto stood still, feeling the cold, nervous hand that had been placed on top of his birthmarks. He watched as a look of disbelief was painted on the rogue mutant's face, like she expected him to drop dead just from a simple, almost gentle touch.

"Ah… Ah can touch you," she stated, almost a question but still as if she was affirming a fact. "How… how can –"

He gently took her hand into his own warm ones. "Listen… we're the good guys. Someone out there has been manipulating you… and well… I did it too." _'No! Idiot! Don't tell her that!'_ "We're only trying to help you."

The rogue shook her head. "Ah… Ah dunno what's goin' on… Ah just want all of this to end! Ah want to be alone!"

Naruto shook his head. "No… you don't want to be alone. Believe me. Shutting yourself is not the answer." He tightened his hold on her slightly. "I hate to tell you this, but the people looking after you will never let you be alone anyways. Come with us, we'll tell you everything."

The teenage girl started to breathe normally until the rest of the team came to view. She panicked once she saw Wolverine carrying an unconscious Nightcrawler. Behind them was Kitty and soon after, Storm landing besides the slim wall-phaser.

"No!" She tried to run away but Naruto maintained his grip.

"It's alright. They're friends," assured Naruto, finally letting go of her hand when he was sure that she wouldn't bolt the second he did so. "You've been fooled by a shapeshifter."

She turned to look at Naruto. Her eyes were green, very similar to Jean's. "How do Ah know Ah can trust you?"

Naruto tried to think of a reason but in the end merely shrugged his shoulders. "Well… you really can't, I guess. Someone once told me that I'm a terrible liar." He looked back at his team; Jean, Scott and the Professor had now arrived as well.

"Naruto is correct. You have been fooled by a woman called Mystique – a shapeshifter that's known for using manipulation to get her way. We give you a decision to come with us, but it is that, a choice. Mystique's offers are commands masked as choices," said the Professor. "We can teach you to control your powers."

She shook her head vigorously. "No… you can't help me. There's no controllin' this. Everyone Ah touch." She took a deep breath before looking at Naruto. "Everyone Ah touch… except _him._ "

"You'll have help with us, then. The Xavier Institute will readily accept any mutant in need of assistance – you are no exception."

She looked around at anyone, like a cornered animal trying to see if the creatures around it will either aid or kill. She put her black glove back on and nervously walked to where the Professor was siting.

"Alright… Ah guess." She sounded like she was still alert, but too tired to fight further. Her defensive posture did not change, even when they went back into the Blackbird. She found the most isolated, quietest corner and sat down with her back to a wall, still looking for any signs of danger.

"Hey! What's your name?!" asked Naruto. "We can't keep calling you 'The Rogue' forever, can we?"

"Ah have no name. No name that's important, anyways," she said, looking at all of them before her gaze landed back on Naruto. "Rogue is jus' fine. A new name for a new life, right?"

* * *

"There goes the little bit of privacy I had been enjoying lately," whined Kitty. Since the Professor had been currently looking at enrolling for other students, sharing rooms was going to be an inevitability, and so far, that had started with Kitty and Rogue. "I mean… she's not bad but… y'know?"

Naruto nodded. The last time he'd had to share a room with someone else for days was when he was at the orphanage. Back then, he had very little to hide. Bunking with another student would mean that'd he'd have to be extremely careful about going out to fight the baddies.

"What do you think of her?" asked Kitty. She was talking about Rogue, of course.

"I think she's nice."

"Well, yeah. You would. She mostly wants to talk to you."

"She does?"

Kitty sighed. "She's nicer to you, at least. Don't you notice these things?"

Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "Not really. I thought she was nice to everyone."

"She mostly ignores everyone," deadpanned Kitty. "But she keeps to her side of the room, so I really can't complain much."

Naruto looked at the time. "I have to go to the club now. I'll see you back at the mansion." Getting into so many clubs seemed like a good idea at the time, but it was definitely stressing his time to the limits, and Logan was already complaining. It would be so much easier if he could use clones to attend all of them, but just like in the Shinobi Academy, schools kept a strict record of attendance in America.

"When are you going to drop out of some of them? You know you just can't keep all of them."

He grumbled. "Think I'm dropping art and music – the teachers there are beginning to get on my nerves. 'You need to calm down, Naruto. Listen carefully, Naruto. Use your imagination, Naruto,'" he mocked, trying to mimic the voices of his teachers. "I just don't have the gift."

Kitty laughed. "Patience is not a gift – it's a virtue."

"I'll stay in with the reading guys for a bit more time. English is still my second language. I'm not letting go of the science club, though. That stuff is awesome. Last time, somebody almost blew up the classroom!"

"Ugh… guys and their explosions." Kitty's grin dropped. "Are they asking about Principal Darkholme as well?"

"They are, but it's not like anyone liked her aside from the Loserhood. Most of the members of in the club were bullied by them and Mystique turned a blind eye against the complaints. I expect most people will be glad if she never comes back."

"Yeah, her replacement will probably do better." The bell rang for a few seconds. "See you at the Mansion!"

Naruto would be back at the Institute… just not the original. A clone would go home and go to his room in order to maintain appearance while he himself would go to fight. The moment the club was over and no one was in sight, he flickered to a concealed place so he could change into his gear and set off for the city. He couldn't wait until midnight this time; the work had been getting harder now that both he and Spiderman had shaken the hornets' nest known as the Maggia.

Once he was out of sight, he flickered to a concealed place so he could change into his gear and set off for the city. It was quite a routine now, going to Queens. With his regular speed, he could there in an hour; the same for the trip back. Both Naruto and Spiderman also had a usual meeting spot, which made it quicker for them to get down to business.

Naruto only waited a few minutes before his partner arrived. He was… different.

"Dig the new suit?" boasted Spiderman, showing off the new outfit. "Been working on it for months!"

In terms of colors, they were the same as the old one, but now it was more defined; more _uniform_ than the last one. It reminded Naruto of his X-Men suit – form fitting and flexible. He didn't know if it was tear resistant, but he definitely green-eyed his partner. "It's alright, I guess," he muttered while looking away.

"It's alright to be jealous," mocked Spiderman while continuing to pose exaggeratedly. "Look! I even have a Spidey-Signal!" He pointed to his belt and a bright light sprang from it. "It's so awesome!"

"Aren't you going to be cold wearing spandex in early December?" mocked Naruto.

Spiderman dropped his pose and sounded like he was sputtering. "It ain't spandex." He tried really hard to hide a shiver. "I-It's a work in progress. What about you? You finally got a hoodie to cover your hair but nothing else aside."

"I don't sew," muttered Naruto, his face souring into a pout. "But if I did, it'd be better than yours."

"Ohoho! Is that jealousy I hear from the ninja-dude?"

"I am not jealous." He was. If only because he wanted a more appropriate suit… the spider logo was pretty cool as well… and the Spidey-Signal was a nice tough… not to mention eye protection and overall professionalism… and it looked so flashy and memorable _'I am_ not _jealous!'_

"If you're always this loud, then it's no wonder why you got so easily trapped." The voice came from the shadows, formless until its source stepped into the light; an older figure clad in a crimson costume. "If you are serious about going after the most dangerous criminals in our city, be a little more professional about it."

Naruto waved the concerns away. "Do you know where they are, then?"

Daredevil's bright red eyes shone. "I've been scouting them for nights now – the warehouse you hit would've given me vital information… but you hit it before I could gather intel." The words were accusatory, even if the tone of voice didn't change. "There's more warehouses that we need to get. Most of them will be carrying weapons. We'll need to do it carefully. Remember, there are civilians about. They must _not_ get caught in the crossfire."

Naruto gave a thumbs up. "Gotcha, Stop Light."

"It's 'Daredevil.'"

Spiderman sighed. "He does that. I think he may have even forgotten to add the hyphen to my name."

Daredevil did not say any more, jumping to another rooftop while both Naruto and Spiderman followed him from their meeting place all the way to one of the docks. To any passerby minding their own business, the place would look abandoned; Naruto's senses told him that despite the darkness, there were several dozen armed men loading equipment into a small barge.

Like before, the criminals were armed professionally compared to the thugs one would usually find prowling the streets of the massive city. Almost all of them were sporting assault rifles or shotguns. The patrols were also well coordinated and were using radio communications to relay messages to each other instantly.

"Welp, they got it locked down," grumbled Spiderman once Naruto had handed the binoculars back to him. "They're constantly communicating with one another and there are almost no blind spots. How do we do it?"

Daredevil's eyes showed no emotion. "We'll have to wait for an opening… no matter how long it takes, eventually they'll get tired."

Naruto shook his head. "What about the other areas? We need to hit those as well!"

"They'll have to go for now. Our priorities are the civilians – the ones we are fighting for. The criminals are secondary – justice will take it's due one day… even if it's not this one."

The only swayed Naruto for a few minutes. He didn't come all the way down to the city to watch some guys load weapons into a ship while munching on some delicious meatball sandwiches. An involuntary growl left his stomach.

"That's it. I'm done with this sitting around!" he yelled, jumping from his position.

Naruto barely heard Daredevil yell out a "Hold it!" but he was already running full speed towards the dock. There was no opening that the blonde could exploit – at least not one that could finish them quickly. Making the usual seal, over a hundred clones were created and sent towards the gun-toting enforcers

"What the –" came a shout before gunfire drowned anything else. More rifles joined the chorus soon, so loud that the noises from clones being dispelled into nothingness could not be heard, only the thick smoke that resulted from it, allowing the rest to reach their targets without getting hit.

The rest was chaos, with the first clones being shot and turning to smoke, blinding the area with thick gray clouds and serving as camouflage for the remaining replicas make a beeline for the first line of thugs. An all-out brawl erupted next. In some instances, the thugs managed to get a clear shot of one of Naruto's clones, but it was clear that most were panicking at the number and were shooting into the fog. After half of the enemies were take care of, Spiderman and Daredevil finally caught up and jumped into the action.

Spiderman swung through the night, using the momentum to hit a sniper on the roof squarely the face before sending webs to yank the rifles out of other shooters. "Not to sound overly British, but do you have a license for that, mate?"

In contrast to Spiderman, Daredevil was completely silent – a force of nature that used extremely well-honed martial arts to defeat opponent after opponent like a well-choreographed dance. Every movement seemed synchronized, as if the thugs knew they were going to be beaten and were more than willing to fulfill that role when Daredevil bludgeoned them over the head with his baton.

If Naruto was being honest with himself, after learning what most of these thugs had in their arsenal, he was beginning to get bored. Even the common thugs back in his own planet were stronger than these people. He knew that one bullet could be fatal, but using clones was a good way to assure that it didn't happen. The ability to use his mental powers to rip rifles from his enemies made it even easier, after that it came down to using overwhelming physical force and it would be over before he knew it.

"This is boring," muttered Naruto after he knocked the last thug, who had been hiding behind a wooden crate, unconscious. "We might as well just go to the top and get the leaders already." He turned towards his companions.

If it was possible, Daredevil's crimson eyes burned even brighter than usual. "What the hell were you thinking?!" he roared, pointing outside the docks. "There are still homes and families nearby! A stray bullet is all that it takes!"

"I took care of them quickly and easily!" retorted Naruto, crossing his shoulders smugly. "There's no need to worry when I'm around."

Daredevil shook his head. "Be more conscious of what you're doing. How about you plan your actions and the consequences before rushing in like a child?"

"Well speed it up, geezer! If we go at these guys harder, we'll be able to wipe them out faster."

"You aren't dealing with simple drug peddlers here – this is the Maggia. They have more up their sleeves than assault rifles. Slowly and carefully is the only way to not get innocent people killed," countered Daredevil, before taking a deep breath. "If your eyes can't see your mistakes, what good are they?" With that he jumped away. "I'm done with the two of you."

"Wait!" yelled Spiderman, who until now had been webbing their foes for the police. "We're supposed to be a team, right?"

Daredevil turned back at them one last time. "Then grow up and act like a team. Until then, I refuse to babysit overexcited children who care more for glory than the lives of the ones they claim to protect." With that, he ran towards a building and climbed until the Devil of Hell's Kitchen could be seen no more.

"Wow, I guess this is what it's like to fail the masked weirdo job interview," joked Spiderman before yawning. "Welp, guess it's time to go hit the sack."

"You're giving up this early?"

Spiderman shrugged his shoulders. "There's nothing else to do for now. If something big happens, I'll hear it on the police radio."

"You're just cold. Should've gotten a better outfit," muttered Naruto but waved Spiderman goodbye. He looked around and surveyed the aftermath. There must be something that could help him track down the other traffickers. Unfortunately, these Maggia guys were more competent than the usual hoods he was used to dealing with.

For the next few minutes, Naruto made sure that the thugs were all secured for the police… he also felt a little guilty when he pocketed the money on their wallets but he was still looking for a way to get some extra money. Busy, he barely listened to the footsteps approaching from behind.

"H-Hello," greeted a nervous voice and Naruto turned around to see a skinny young man that was looking at the beaten thugs with awe. "Man, that is awesome."

The blonde was dumbfounded at first but was not one to turn away praise. "I know, right!" He immediately coughed and tried to put on his more mature voice. "I meant to say… only doing my service for the city."

"Yeah! I've been following you! You and Spiderman!" He unzipped his backpack and took out a few photos. "About time that somebody started doing a better job than the police at getting rid of these criminals."

Naruto nodded. "I gotta go now," he said but before he managed to jump away the slightly older man yelled at him.

"Wait!" He exclaimed, waving his hands, enough for Naruto to look at him. "Look… I know I can't really do much to help you guys… but I really want to."

"No need. We don't do this to get paid," replied Naruto. _'It'd be nice if we got paid, though.'_

"Not like that. I mean I want to help you take down these guys… and I think I might have found something." He took out a laptop and tried to show the blonde vigilante. "I can't show you without internet, but I think I managed to get into a private network they use to coordinate their movements. I'll help you find them!"

Naruto's eyes widened. "Really?! That's great! If we know where they are then we'll be able to take them out in no time!"

"Alright!" replied the young man. "I'll give you my contact information one week from now next to that pizzeria by the Baxter Building."

"Tony's?"

"No – the one with the alleyway."

"Joe's?"

"That's the one."

"Okay. I'll see you then," assured Naruto and was about to flicker away but asked one final thing before he did so. "What is your name?"

"You can call me Mike," responded the young man, who was already leaving the scene. "Gotta make a call, but I'll see you later… and… if you can also contact your two friends, then that'll be great as well."

Naruto gave Mike a thumbs up jumped towards the nearest rooftop. This was extremely good news; if he could destroy all of the Maggia's operations, then he had little doubt that there would be a significant decrease in crime.

Not to mention that maybe Daredevil would get that stick out of his ass if he no longer had to stay out every night looking for mobsters.

* * *

There were some days – and those days had been increasing regularly – where Jean didn't know why she even bothered with Duncan Matthews. Her sporty boyfriend tried to justify when she caught him flirting with the cheerleaders, but even then, she knew that that was just an excuse; Duncan had been flirting with cheerleaders just days into their relationship. No… recently, the redhead had just been getting progressively more annoyed with his attempts to make everything better. He never failed to disappoint.

Her thoughts shifted to another table, where Scott sat looking as sour as always. Scott was a good choice; same age as her, driven, intelligent, easy on the eyes, among other things… but there were other things she could not overlook. His dedication to the X-Men probably being the biggest thing.

Yes, Jean was a mutant. Yes, she was proud of it... but being proud of being a mutant did not mean that being a mutant was her identity or her life goals. She wanted to get out there! Go to college, have a career, be a bit more normal. Professor Xavier didn't just train them to use their powers, he trained them so they could fit in with the rest of society. Scott, however, did not appear like the type that would leave the X-Men anytime soon.

"Hey," said Kitty, interrupting Jean's musings. "How are you doing?"

"Studying for the exams," deadpanned Jean. "Every year gets harder and this semester is no exception. I have to keep my grades up if I want to get into that Stark scholarship."

Kitty plopped on the opposite end of the table. "Yeah. ESU is totally expensive, but with that Stark scholarship…"

Jean nodded and took another bite of her meal. It wasn't as bad as far a cafeteria food went but given the appropriate ingredients, she could definitely pull it off a little better. "Anything you want to talk about?"

The petite teenager seemed a little nervous. "I… wanted to ask." She bit her lip. "You and Naruto seem a little… well… a little _close."_

' _Oh… she's going there.'_ "It's not what you think," Jean responded calmly. "He's a good, dependable friend, but just that – a friend."

"Sooo… you're not pining for him or anything?"

Jean shook her head. "Don't get me wrong – there's almost nobody else that I would want to watch my back during a fight. He's the best teammate and friend one could ask for… but as something else?" She shook her head. "He's… a little too much for me. Like that little brother that you're always having to clean up after. Too brash and loud for me… and he has to learn even the most basic forms of tact!"

Kitty had a satisfied smirk on her face. "Gotcha. I just needed to know," she said before digging in to her own meal.

"I… have to ask. Does it not bother you?" asked Jean. She tried not to be rude, but despite his best traits, she found it hard that someone would start looking at Naruto as boyfriend material. "He's hyperactive, immature, rushes into situations without thinking first, shows off a bit too much, he's constantly rude… and, just in terms of trying to get his attention, he's –"

"Denser than a neutron star?" finished Kitty with a giggle. "Yeah… I know that, but I try to look at it a different way. There's a lot of positives – brave, loyal, hard-working, intelligent. Even when he's being rude, his heart is totally in the right place." She turned a bit pink. "He's also kinda cute."

"As for the flaws," continued Kitty. "Yeah… they're there. But I think that people can grow out of these and still keep the good things about them, y'know?" A devious smirk formed. "He just needs the right person around him." She turned serious again. "Also, before I ask her… what about 'Roro?"

Jean firmly shook her head. "No way. I've known her since she was eleven and she's never shown romantic interest in anyone… and she's had a _lot_ of suitors. I doubt she sees Naruto as anything but a friend."

"Great!" exclaimed Kitty. "I guess that gets rid of all the real competition I have. Wouldn't want to go against you and 'Roro on the looks department."

"You're a beautiful girl, Kitty… and if you think that looks are the main reason to get Naruto's attention, maybe you're looking at the wrong guy."

Kitty scoffed. "I mean – look at my choices! There's Kurt who constantly gets under my skin with all that teleportation stuff. Scott just wants to train all day and follow the Professor… and the last two men in the Mansion are kinda illegal and super creepy for someone my age." She looked at a table behind Jean and shuddered. "I… guess there's the Brotherhood but… not a freaking snowball's chance in hell."

"Did he already tell you he's from another planet?" Jean did not know why she was so adamant about pointing out all the bad things that would come out of a relationship with Naruto but continued anyway. "He's trying to get back to his home and when that happens, that'll leave you here."

Kitty bit her lip and looked down. "I mean… how possible is that? We can't even get to Mars and from what Naruto's told me, his country is less advanced than ours."

Jean sighed. If anything, she had to be a bit jealous at how resolute Kitty was about what she wanted in a relationship. "Look, just be careful, okay? Last thing the team needs is broken hearts."

"You worry too much. I'm fourteen. Let me do stupid fourteen-year-old stuff while I'm still a teenager." She stood up and took her tray towards the table where Naruto and Kurt were eating.

' _I just hope there's not too much drama over this. Ororo and I may not be pining after him… but,'_ Her eyes concentrated on another table, where Rogue was doing a poor job at being subtle about sending Naruto glances, _'I can't say the same for others.'_

* * *

It was damp, humid, and dark, but at the same time it was as if the place was not even truly there; bordering between reality and imagination. Naruto could count the times he'd been in here with only one hand and even with that fact, he still knew exactly where he was.

Wading through the shallow water, Naruto saw what he had already expected; the giant metal bars appeared to be as imposing as ever. They had to be in order to hold back their prisoner. Said prisoner being the giant fox that had been sealed inside the blonde shinobi since birth and was currently laying his massive head on his paws, looking like he wanted to sleep. "What do you want now, furball?" he asked the Bijū.

The Kyūbi did not move, only opening one angry, red eye. "I'm not the one that called you, Uchiha scum."

"Then why am I here?!" Naruto asked; the demand a little more childish sounding than he would've liked.

The giant Bijū closed his eye and growled without moving. "Don't know, don't care. Shut up or leave – I've had my fill of Uchiha trash to last a thousand years."

Naruto glared at the giant chakra monster. "I told you that I'm not an Uchiha! My name is Uzumaki! U-zu-ma-ki!"

"Shut up! Get out of my sight!" spat the Kyūbi and said no more.

Glaring for one final time, Naruto turned away from the bars and went back to the hallways; the dim lights barely illuminating the many rusted doors that led to someplace or another, or nowhere at all. Just as he turned a corner, there were two branching hallways waiting for him at the end; a never-ending maze of secrets unknown to him.

Letting out a yell, he rested against a wall and tried his best to reach _something_. _'What the hell am I doing here? What am I supposed to do if the furball doesn't want to kill me?'_

" _Left."_ The voice that reached him was old, powerful… familiar. Shaking his head, Naruto walked towards the end of the hall and turned to the indicated direction. _"Right,"_ declared the wizened voiced and once again, he reluctantly followed the way. It went on like what seemed forever to him but eventually Naruto arrived to the end of a hallway that had no other branches, only a door that looked better kept than the rest. _"Enter."_

The place was in many ways similar to the room where the Kyubi was incarcerated, but there were several differences: it was somehow a bit brighter, and the water looked more pristine than the one he'd been trudging through in the hallways.

Anything else quickly went unnoticed in favor of the man floating above the water. He appeared to somehow be sitting on air, surrounded by a set of black balls below his form. In his arms, he held a _shakujō_ ; atop his legs, a sword. Dressed in a white robe, it almost blended with his grayish looking skin.

"It's you," Naruto stated, trying to gauge a reaction, but he saw none. "Are you finally going to speak to me?"

The man took a few long seconds to open his eyes; purple with rings in a ripple pattern, Naruto didn't think he'd ever be able to forget them. _"We shall see if you can truly speak,"_ he communicated with his mind.

Naruto scoffed and glared. _"You wanna do it like this? Fine! Let's get it over with! I've been waiting for answers for months now!"_

The man's eyes were like daggers as they pierced Naruto's blue orbs. _"The ability to grasp vocabulary is one thing – making good use of dialects is another. I am cognizant that you desire answers to questions you do not yet know, but it does not mean you deserve them."_

Naruto felt a fire inside his body wanting nothing more than to explode. "Deserve?! What does this have to do with _deserving_ anything?! Why do you not tell me anything?!"

" _Because the information is useless to you right now,"_ the man responded calmly, never moving a muscle, not even blinking. _"All of that is in days to come – the present is where your concerns must be. Are you ready to listen?"_

Naruto curled his fingers into a fist and grit his teeth but nodded anyways.

" _Very well. Sit then."_

" _And get wet?"_ snarked Naruto, crossing his arms again.

" _Trying to make me a fool is useless – the only one who will suffer from ignorance is yourself,"_ responded the man.

Naruto let out a heavy snort of annoyance but took a deep breath afterwards and concentrated on levitating himself. It was something he'd been working with Jean recently, but he was nowhere near as proficient as her. _"Th-There!"_ he gasped, almost losing his balance after dedicating enough concentration to telepathy and telekinesis at the same time. _'Mental powers are so damn troublesome!'_

" _It will have to suffice for the moment,"_ the man almost sighed before a large scroll unfurled itself in front of Naruto, a brush with ink right next to it. _"Let us commence by trying to copy the formulae. It is an elementary seal, even a novice should be able to recreate it with ease."_

Naruto started at the long parchment with disbelief. _"Calligraphy?! You bring me all the way here to do calligraphy?! What the hell am I supposed to do with this?!"_

If he wanted to sigh, then the old man showed no sign that he would do so. _"Fūinjutsu – the most complicated and essential of skills that every sage must dominate. Alas, very few people retain the abilities of yore. Especially with the downfall of the Senju and Uzumaki."_

The mention of his surname made Naruto immediately perk up his ears. _"Uzumaki? What do you mean?"_ The idea that his name meant something had never crossed his mind. In the academy, the names "Senju", "Hyūga", "Uchiha", and even less prominent ones like "Inuzuka", and "Nara" were all over the place. The name "Uzumaki" was unknown by everyone he ever asked… even the Sandaime."

" _That is a question for wiser man, not a boy,"_ responded the man. _"Continue with the lesson that has been granted to you… or return with nothing."_

Naruto grit his teeth and glared at the man. _"You can't just say that stuff about my name and leave it there, I need ans –"_ His concentration was shaken and he fell down from the floating position and on the water. Humiliated, the blonde stood up and continued to send visual daggers.

" _One day, it will be revealed to you… but not this time. Right now, you must learn to keep your silence and learn."_ Finally moving, the man grabbed a brush and replicated the symbols with ease, eventually stopping the use of his hand and doing it with his mind, yet the quality was not sacrificed.

" _You can use telekinesis?"_ asked Naruto, the fire slightly abated now that he had to concentrate on sitting on air again.

" _A modern term, but I do possess powers of the mind."_ A brush floated next to Naruto. _"Let us resume."_

Naruto felt the itch to ask more questions, but decided to let it stay at that, gritting his teeth with a brush in hand. The symbols were a lot more complex than he was used to – Tenten's lessons were exclusive to sealing objects – but he managed to trudge along anyway.

It felt like hours as Naruto drew what seemed to be the same things over and over and over again. _'If I knew it'd be this hard, then getting out of art class may not be a good idea after all.'_

" _Use your entire arm, make it more fluid – use the brush as an extension of thine limb, and thine limb as an extension of thyself."_

" _Yeah, yeah,"_ grumbled Naruto as he half-assed the entire procedure, wanting to just get this whole thing over with so that, hopefully, the old man would loosen his lips. _"So… are you gonna be my new sensei, then? What is your name?"_

" _I am here to impart knowledge, make of that what you will. As for my name, you can refer to me as Hagoromo."_

For what seemed like a slim moment, excitement triumphed over impatience. _"Are you gonna teach me new ninjutsu, then? Huh? Huh?!"_ For the first time since Naruto had seen the old man, he saw something other than cold stoicism.

"No! I will not teach you any _ninjutsu!"_ he spat out the last word in particular, and this time he finally used his true voice.

"Eh! Why not?! You're a Sage, aren't you?! Sages are meant to know plenty of ninjutsu."

"That ninjutsu you speak of is a mere bastardization of Ninshū – a noble art that was created for the purpose of reconcilement and peace, now used to fuel conflicts between nations, families, brethren."

"That's not true! We use jutsu to defend ourselves and the ones we care about!" retorted Naruto, releasing his sitting position and standing on the water again. "I always fight for those I care about."

"Is that true?" responded Hagoromo, his hands again grasping the shakujō but not moving aside from that. "Are you under the believe that the best way to undertake the security of you loved ones is to charge at your foes? Have you ever thought that there are alternatives?"

Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "It's the way we've been doing this forever, old man."

"Not forever… not when Hamura and I led our people, not when I ascended from Gaia and unto the universe… not until Ashura and Indra." Hagoromo's voice sounded tired and filled with grief at the mention of the last two names.

"What are you going to teach me then? Tea ceremonies? Flower pressing? Origami? I need to learn how to fight!"

"No. Growing up is what you require!" Hagoromo took the shakujō into his arms. "You regale me with tales of defending and protecting, yet all I have seen and heard is of a child rushing into peril. Are you so eager to ignite conflict?"

Naruto stepped forward and looked at Hagoromo straight in the eye. "You're wrong! I fight to help others!"

"Is that correct? Did you not wish to fight so you could become a warlord of your village? For what? To then engage in endless strife with another warlord? Sate my inquisitiveness then, child – why does aiding your fellow man come in the form of a clenched fist?"

"Some people need to have a lesson beaten into them."

"Some do – others do not. Has it ever crossed your mind that there might be a different end to a conflict that did not involve slaughter?"

Sky blue eyes narrowed. "I've never killed anyone!"

Hagoromo closed his strange eyes and took a deep breath. "No… you have not." A moment of silence passed before Naruto saw the ringed purple orbs open again, sharp as daggers. "But you will… and when the time comes, you must learn the value of life."

"I already know that!"

Hagoromo let out a sigh that could almost be mistaken for a cynical laugh. "Do you? You seem very eager to beat your enemies into submission but you leave the welfare of your allies to others."

Naruto crossed his arms. "I'm not a medic, old man!"

"I will admit to having a disdain for your _jutsu_ … but there is one that passed down from one of my own teachings." The Sage let go of his shakujō and his hands began to take a green glow. "At least this one has not been bastardized yet."

Realization dawned on Naruto. "That's _Baa-chan's_ green hand healing thingy!"

"The Mystic Palm," nodded Hagoromo. "It necessitates exact chakra control and a tempered mind to master, but there is no more useful technique for immediate healing."

"Then it's useless for me. My chakra control sucks," responded Naruto, his thoughts going back to the difficulties he had with the normal clone jutsu.

"That is why a tempered mind is necessary," countered the old Sage.

Naruto shook his head. "Forget it – my chakra reserves are too big. That's not something you can train away."

"Not if you were a normal person… but you are not. There was once a shinobi had more much more chakra than you have now, and this art was second nature to him."

"And who was this great shinobi?"

"Senju Hashirama. You may know him more as one of the main founders of your village… and its first Hokage. He, more than any other leader, knew the cost of taking a life – Hashirama preferred to preserve them rather than snuff them out."

" _Baa-chan's_ grandpa? That ain't fair!" responded Naruto, his mind briefly returned to one of the few of Iruka's classes he bothered to pay attention to. "He was Senju – those guys had natural chakra control."

"The remarkable nature of their chakra helped, but it was also training that helped him maintain a high level of control… and the best method of control is to keep a calm mind and a focus on your task." Hagoromo closed his eyes again and picked up his shakujō. _"Join me in meditation,"_ he ordered telepathically.

Naruto almost screamed at the thought of doing meditation. _Ero-sennin_ had tried to get him to do it several times during his training and it had been utterly _boring_.

He assumed the position, but his mind wandered off to other things: first to Konoha, like it had done so many times in the past; the temptation to wonder about what the village was without him would always creep deep into his thoughts. He then thought of other things as well, mostly of Reed Richards and the possibility of some new discovery that allowed him to travel. Then there was his new team. What would he do once he went back? Would he be able to visit them again? Would he be able to travel between his planet and Earth?

He would very much want to keep seeing his new friends. Especially Kitty, who would ask him first to take her to all sorts of places in a way that no other friend had asked him too. Rogue was recently asking him for similar things, less enthusiastically than Kitty, of course, but just as constantly.

" _Your mind wanders. Once again, I impart to you the fact that – by trying to fool me – the only one that gets fooled is yourself."_

The blonde jinchūriki glared. "I was thinking about something."

" _I too thought about the opposite sex when I was your age, but it is imperative that you fight the urges until the appropriate time."_

Naruto went stone-faced while his mind started to process what the old man had meant until the gears clicked into place. "Th-That's not what I was thinking, _ero-Jiji!"_

"In any case, please try to vacate your thoughts from any distractions other than the task before you. Start by focusing on your breathing… I assume your instructors gave you the knowledge on how to inhale and exhale appropriately?"

The next… minutes? Hours? Days? Naruto found it hard tell the difference. They were spent on trying to focus on anything that was not the "complex" act of _breathing._ To be fair to the archaic Sage; it was a lot more intricate once he really started to concentrate on every minute detail.

"Now try to do the signs and concentrate on your chakra control just like you did with your breathing."

Naruto resigned himself to following the orders and did the hand seals. To his own surprise, he managed to sense a tingling sensation on both his palms… followed by a greenish tint starting to flow from it for just a few seconds before he broke concentration and it went away. "I… I did it?"

"A little bit of progress, but it will take a lot more than what we have accomplished today. Nevertheless, we have succeeded in establishing the fundamentals. Your heritage should help with the rest."

"My heritage?" asked Naruto through gritted teeth, fully expecting the old Sage to evade the topic again like he'd done so several times now.

Hagoromo gave a gentle nod. "The man known as Senju Hashirama… he was your great-grandfather."

It felt as if a boulder was dropped on Naruto's stomach, completely taking his breath away. His eyes fixated on the floating Sage, fully expecting the geezer to laugh and tell him that it was some sort of joke… but only seriousness was reflected in those ringed eyes.

"W-What the fu –"

"It's time for you to leave now," announced Hagoromo, like he hadn't said something that was currently making Naruto fail at forming any sort of response that wasn't gasps or heavy breaths.

"Wait!" Naruto finally shouted but his world went dark and numb until he was once again greeted with a small bit of light; somebody had turned on his bedside lamp.

"Are you alright?" It was Kitty's voice; the door was still closed. She must have gotten in using her phasing ability. Her and Rogue's room was next to his.

Naruto blinked his eyes replied in a slurred voice. "Yeah… bad dreams."

Kitty laughed nervously. "I could hear you from the other side. Rogue's a heavy sleeper, though."

Naruto returned the laugh, equally as awkward. "Sorry. I'm alright, though… and tomorrow is Saturday. You can go back to sleep if you want."

The tiredness in Kitty's face vanished just as she was about to walk through the wall again, replaced by a familiar smirk. "Well… I won't be getting much rest if you like, have bad dreams, would I?"

He tried to shrug her off. "Don't worry – I'm fine. I don't think it was even a bad dream. Just… confusing."

"Well, I think I can help you with confusing dreams. My mom used to say that if you have something that you like before you go to bed then you'll be protected." She smiled, slowly sitting down on his bed. "Is there something you want?"

"Ramen?"

"What?! No! Think about something other than food for once!" Kitty half-whispered, half-shouted. She looked at Naruto expectantly as if waiting for an answer before sighing loudly and getting under the covers. "Obviously, in order to help you sleep better, I'll accompany you throughout the night."

"Eh!" blurted Naruto but it didn't stop Kitty from getting under the covers and resting her head on the spare pillow.

"It's the best solution," she responded matter-of-factly, scooting even closer. "Besides… I'm a bit cold, all alone and all the covers don't make difference." Her brown eyes doing that puppy-dog look. "You're a gentleman, aren't you? You're not like, totally let me freeze to death, right?"

Naruto tried to find something to say but nothing came out. There was enough room for both of them in the queen-sized bed, so limited space wasn't an excuse.

"Think about it – I won't have to wake up during the night and you have someone to help," reasoned Kitty, turning off the lamp. "Don't worry – I don't snore… I think."

"I do."

"I'll endure it." She let out a noticeable yawn. "So tired… I want to sleep _all night."_ Kitty said no more after adjusting herself one last time. True to her word, she did not snore; soft breaths told Naruto that she was indeed asleep.

' _There's a girl sleeping in my bed,'_ Naruto realized after a few dumbfounded minutes. He debated whether or not he should get out of bed but the night was indeed cold and sleeping on the couch was not something he was looking forward too.

Besides, she was warm.

Warm… and clingy. It didn't take more than a few minutes after Kitty went back into slumber for her to search for something to hold on too, and – seeing as she had taken the spare pillow for herself – that something was Naruto. Her slim arms eventually encircled his own, two soft legs wrapped around his left one.

Naruto did not know what to feel about it. On one hand, it felt nice, on the other, he was extremely confused. Was this something that girls did? Did they do it with their best friends? With other girls? Questions whirled around his tired mind, and when fatigue started to set in again, he found another benefit to having Kitty sleep alongside him.

It almost made him forget about what the old Sage had said.

* * *

Naruto had rarely seen Scott Summers as agitated as he was now. The cause of this was probably a phone call that he had answered a few hours ago. The name that was being constantly repeated was "Alex" and nothing more.

"Who is Alex?" Naruto finally asked the Professor once Scott had left the office.

"Scott's younger brother. I do not feel at liberty to say more than that – it is Scott's story to tell or not tell," responded the Professor.

Scott was mum on the subject, even to Jean. He spent the rest of the day shooting targets on the Danger Room by himself until _Logan_ of all people told him that he needed to take a break. After that, it was a long time locked inside his room.

"He's my little brother," he finally told the rest of the team the following day. "I thought he had died years ago in the plane accident where my parents died… now I find out that he was alive all this time."

Jean nodded and stood up. "That's great news. Why are you so angry, then?"

A tired breath left Scott's mouth. "I don't know. I guess it was just… remembering." His tone returned to the usual strictness. "I'm going to meet him tomorrow at Hawaii."

"Hawaii!" exclaimed Kitty with shining eyes. "Yes! Just what I need in this weather!" She grabbed Naruto's arm. "Oh, it will be great! Bright sun, warm beaches, soft breeze – "

"Active volcanoes," snarked Rogue.

"Yeah… about that. We're going in the usual three-person approach – the Professor, me, and… since Ororo and Wolverine are away so it'll be Naruto."

"What?! No fair!"

"We need somebody to look after the Mansion." said Scott before leaving to his room. "We'll only be away for a few hours anyway."

Naruto turned around to see Kitty's looking down miserably. "Have fun," she mumbled before phasing through the ground.

The Professor was waiting for them early next morning by the Blackbird, ready to drive the high-tech plane himself. Scott was silent most of the ride while Naruto got bored extremely quickly, wishing that he was travelling with Kitty or Jean or hell, even Kurt. They would've been more fun, at least.

It was pretty hot in Hawaii; even if the volcanoes were not spewing lava at the moment. Naruto could almost forget that it was winter and snow was already falling back at the Mansion. "Now I see why Kitty wanted to come."

"Another time," assured the Professor as the trio exited the Blackbird. "For the moment, we're not here for pleasure." He turned towards Scott. "Did your brother tell you where you were meeting?"

"I do. I am sorry Professor, but I think I would like to approach this in private."

The Professor nodded. "I understand. Naruto and I will only be there if you call on us."

Scott led both of them to a set of suburban homes before he stopped and walked to one of the doors, knocking, and waiting. His face was a myriad of emotions, so many and so conflicting that Naruto could not really put them all together at the same time.

Eventually, the door opened and Scott stood, transfixed at the sight of a younger boy that Naruto surmised was Alex Summers. They stood silent for a while before both of them grabbed each other in a tight hug, followed by Alex inviting Scott inside and the door shutting behind them.

"Best leave them alone for now," said the Professor before moving his wheelchair along the street. "I think it's best that we prepare ourselves. I believe we will be having some company soon."

"What?!"

"I feel a presence, even though I can't use my powers with his helmet, I can always detect when Magneto is near."

Naruto immediately stiffened, remembering the man suited in red and purple from the day of his arrival… and the powers over metal he'd seen that day. "We need to tell Scott and his brother!"

"Let us try and confront him ourselves. Hopefully it won't come down to violence." He moved his wheelchair to an empty basketball court and waited. "Show yourself, Magnus," the Professor called to the air.

The metal fence surrounding the court started to vibrate, the swings to the side also began to move around. On the small park at the side, more of the attractions shook and creaked until the once quiet area was filled with the sounds of rusty metal groaning and screaming.

A shadow fell over Naruto, blocking the piercing sun. He looked up to see not to see a cloud, but the outline of a person descending from the sky. He'd only seen two people use flight before, Jean and Ororo; neither of them experienced enough to float as gracefully as the man coming down on them.

"Charles," said a deep voice, the same one that Naruto had heard then but could not understand. "Nothing passes you by."

"Magnus… or do you still go by Erik? You have changed too much, old friend." The Professor had a hint of sorrow on his tone that Naruto had never heard before.

"I changed what was necessary – to see to the survival of our kind. One of had to do it."

"Why have you come here, Magneto? Will you not let two brothers reunite before you seek to drive them apart?"

"It is not I that makes that decision, Charles – the one that sides against their kind is you." The poles of the metal fence began to rise and form around Magneto like a circle of spears. "You should have brought the rest of your team, Charles."

Before the metal poles were sent their way, Naruto had already placed his hand on the Professor shoulders and used a _shunshin_ to escape the impalement, reappearing a short distance away. "You sure that guy was your friend? He's trying to kill us?!"

The Professor shook his head. "He already knew you would intervene. If Magneto wanted to kill me, I'd know and there would be little you could do. No, he's trying to intimidate us into going away. Say what you will about him, Erik does not wish to kill his own kind unless he finds no other alternative."

"He won't try to kill me?"

"No… but he is not above wounding you," warned the Professor. "I'm afraid his helmet was designed to block telepathic powers."

Naruto slammed his fist against his palm. "I'll take care of him."

"Just keep him occupied while I go and get Scott."

Turning on his Sharingan, Naruto leapt from the hiding spot and towards Magneto. "Hey! Tin-Man! I'm over here!" Concentrating on his chakra, he summoned around a hundred clones before ordering to charge against Magneto.

In response, the Master of Magnetism had the poles from before return to him before sending them towards the clones. After the first ten clones were speared, the poles were maneuvered around to knock, slam, and thrust against the rest. Not even one replica managed to get to him; when the smoke disappeared, Magneto hovered as before like he hadn't moved an inch.

As if to prove a point, more metal junk rose from the ground and floated around Magneto; the once unoffensive items now turned into weapons ready to strike at a moment's notice.

As a response, Naruto tried to use his own powers to control the non-metal debris around, but it was not as much and didn't look nearly as menacing as Magneto's arsenal. There was also the fact that he still wasn't good enough to fly.

"I admire your courage. Too bad it is wasted on Charles Xavier." It was eerily creepy the way the voice came out of the figure without being able to see his face. "I know you, just from the moment we first met," continued Magneto. "I know your face, at least – the face of someone that knows what it is to be… different."

Naruto grit his teeth, a brief flash of memories from Konoha got to him, but not enough to keep him from what was happening. "So? You're still the bad guy."

"Am I? I am only looking for the best interest of mutants."

"Maybe you are… but there are more than mutants out there. We have to learn to how improve the lives of all, not just mutants!"

Magneto let out a heavy breath of disappointment. "Already poisoned by Charles, I see. Heed my words, child – there can never be peace among us and humanity. People fear what they cannot understand… and within time, that fear will turn to resentment, hate will come soon after."

Another flash of memories came to Naruto, but he tried to remain calm. "I used to think that at one point. But… I learned that once people go through a similar pain, they can learn to understand one another."

"Then the world will be drowned in agony!" snarled Magneto before sending all the gathered debris at Naruto.

Thinking fast, Naruto sent his own pile but even before the two made contact, he knew that he was hopelessly outmatched if he used Magneto's tactics. Quickly, he used the distraction to _shunshin_ away from the area and above his opponent, intent on kicking his head.

"Predictable," said Magneto as quickly moved aside, giving Naruto nothing to kick but thin air. "You are too eager and too easy to read. Perhaps if you could use your powers better… I can help you –"

"Save it!" responded Naruto as he made more clones and tried the same tactic from several sides but before anything could be done, Magneto had used the metal debris to surround himself, and then turned the metal against the shadow clones.

' _I need to get past that shield of his,'_ thought Naruto as he evaded some of the projectiles sent against his original body. Gathering more chakra, he summoned more clones and made them create Rasengan in pairs. He was about to launch again when Magneto dropped the collected metal. The incoming sirens made him realize why.

"Unfortunate. I did not wish to bring in attention this day," drawled Magneto before he floated away. "We shall meet again, and the next time, I will not be so easy on you. You can either join your kind, or be destroyed," he warned before shooting towards the horizon.

Naruto tried to see where his opponent was going, but it a metal call from the Professor made him stop. _"Xavier-sensei? Where are you?"_

" _I am with Scott and Alex at the Blackbird. We are in the clearing around two miles north from your location.'_

When the blonde jinchūriki arrived, it looked as if the conversation was drawing to a close. Scott looked a bit sad, but nowhere near as angsty as the past few days.

"Are you sure you don't want to come? You can learn so much from the Institute," Scott tried to convince his younger brother.

"Listen bro – I'm stoked to see you again and it's great knowing that you're alive… but I've made a life with my adoptive family. They're great… I can't just leave them."

Scott sighed. "I understand… but I'll still try and come see you… and if you ever change your mind –"

"I'll you guys a call, I know."

The door to the Blackbird opened again to let Alex Summers walk out, with Scott waving behind. "Never got to say hi, by the way," Alex said to Naruto. "Scott's friends are always welcome."

"Thanks. I got a really frustrated friend that really wants to come here," responded Naruto while shaking Alex's hand.

"Nothing like Hawaii, right? As payment, you have to take care of my older brother." After a final goodbye, the young man was gone.

The short trip ended when the Blackbird took off again, going back to the Mansion now that Magneto was gone.

"He's strong," Naruto said to the Professor when they arrived back at the Institute. "I tried everything and yet he just laughed it off." He thought back to Orochimaru and Itachi, the difference of power between him and the high-ranking shinobi. After spending months fighting goons and other mutants, he'd forgotten what if felt like to be small.

"Magneto is strong, but he's had years to hone his powers. You are only beginning to scratch the surface of what you can do. I only hope that you will not follow a similar path for strength."

Naruto shook his head. "I won't." It seemed like an eternity since he took things seriously. Being among friends and allies had made him a bit complacent… but now it was time to get back to training. Magneto was only one opponent, who knew how many more there would be out there.

* * *

There was an air of excitement among many of the students during the latter days of December. On Earth, this is the time of year where many different cultures celebrated something or another, along with the coming of a new year. As such, the Professor had given most of them the chance to go back to their families to celebrate with them.

"Hope you like it," gushed Kitty, presenting a wrapped gift to Naruto. Liking it was an understatement; the ink stones and brushes would become very useful for Fūinjutsu practice.

The thing that ruined it for him, however, was the fact that he hadn't known anything at all about these celebrations… or the gifts that came with it. As present after present came was given to him, he couldn't help but feel bad about the fact that he did not give anything back. The rest of the students seemed to understand but Naruto was still adamant in giving them something when they came back.

It was strange, receiving gifts. The only ones he could really remember were the ones given to him by the Sandaime. Even then, those seemed more like protocol from a caretaker. Gifts from friends were an entirely new thing. It was… nice. Extremely nice, actually.

"I'll come back after Hanukkah. Hopefully I can celebrate the new year with you," said Kitty, waiting by the van while Jean, Scott, and Kurt loaded their bags. "Are you sure the three of you are going to be alright?"

Naruto nodded. "Ororo will keep it in one piece," he assured. After most of the students were slated to leave, there was Logan who had already left in the morning, and then there was the Professor who said he had business across the Atlantic, on a small island off the Scottish mainland. That meant that the only people that would remain in the Mansion would be Naruto himself, Ororo, and Rogue.

"It's gonna so cold again when I go," whined Kitty, giving a very long hug to Naruto. "I'm gonna miss how you keep me warm." She didn't let go until Kurt was telling her that they were all ready. Kissing the blonde on the cheek, she got in the van and waved goodbye.

Naruto looked back at what was left: a mostly silent Mansion with both Ororo and Rogue waiting until most of the occupants left to celebrate with their families. Now, only those with none were left.

Ororo smiled at him before going inside. Despite her stoic demeanor, it was quite evident that she was a tad blue that her friends had gone. Naruto had seen her along better with Kitty, and she didn't speak to many people as much as she spoke with Jean.

Rogue, on the other hand, was different. While not exactly happy at her fellow X-Men's absence, she seemed a little happier up for one reason or another. "What are you plannin' to do?" she asked once Ororo had gone back inside.

Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "Well, since I didn't know, I need to go to the city to buy something for everyone."

"Well… do you mind if Ah come with? Ah've never been to the city before."

A part of him wanted to say no to going shopping with another woman but remembering that Rogue was still settling in, he gave his answer. "Sure," nodded Naruto and before he knew it, he was jumping away with Rogue on his back, just as he had done with Kitty.

Rogue did not shout and whoop like Kitty did, contenting herself with nuzzling her head close to his neck as he jumped from house to house, tree to tree, and eventually skyscraper to skyscraper. Once he set down, he started to look at the many stores, grumbling at the amount of people that were still purchasing for the holidays.

After managing to get into one store, a big purple dragon plushie caught his eye. "Do you think Kitty would like this?"

Rogue furrowed her brow and shrugged. "She likes that sorta thing, I guess," and said no more.

Naruto sighed. "Picking gifts is hard," he complained. Never had he had to buy presents for others, and now he was realizing the challenge of knowing what people would like, considering their personalities and what they would find either useful or enjoyable. In the end, he did end up buying the toy.

"Do you want one of these as well?" he asked Rogue, holding an album that had been hyped recently. "I think Jean will like it."

Rogue furrowed her brows. "Alison Blaire? She's good but… just not mah style. 'Sides, the whole present thing is supposed to be a surprise."

Naruto silently grumbled, trying to think of something Rogue might like. Everyone else had already been taken care of but Rogue was the one he was the least familiar with. She had only been with them for a couple of weeks.

Thoughts went through Naruto's head. Rogue liked heavy makeup, dark clothes, and books… but Kitty, Ororo, and Jean also liked books. _'Why does it have to be so complicated? Shikamaru was right!'_

A pang of sadness filled him at the memory of his friends. Ever since arriving, there was no question that he would be back – it was an inevitability, just like how a solar eclipse would only delay the sunrise or a block on the road was a time-consuming obstacle towards a destination… but he had been here for months now. By now the memories of those left behind were leaving him. Even the faces getting hard to recall. How much could a face change in six months?

He'd gotten way taller, that's for sure. Jean and Ororo made him aware of that all the time. Kitty even complained that she wasn't catching up. His face got sharper, with some of the baby fat disappearing. Thanks to several tips from the women in the team, he was better groomed now, even with the spiky hair it somehow looked… dignified. Not to mention that most of his clothing was chosen by those same female members as well.

He often wondered when he looked at the mirror just how much he looked like his parents? Did take after his father? His mother? The Hokage had never given him answers about it, he didn't even know their faces. Was there even something to remember them by? Was there even a painting? A photograph?

At that moment, something dawned inside Naruto and he looked at Rogue. "I'll be right back! Will you wait for me?!"

"Ah… guess," muttered Rogue before she went back to eyeing the many stores around the mall.

Naruto barely heard her words before he sped around the place, looking for a place that sold what he was looking for. It was an item that was available back in Konoha, and he'd seen something similar to it here.

"Got it!" whooped Naruto, returning with two wrapped boxes. "Ready to go?"

Rogue frowned slightly. "Ah'm a bit hungry, and Ah've heard a lot of high talk 'bout this New York food being better than our southern style." She smirked at him. "'Sides, pretty sure you're not gonna be cookin' soon after Jean an' Ororo banned you from the kitchen."

Naruto winced. "I was trying to make a steak."

"An' you almost burned down the mansion. A well-done steak is bad enough without settin' fire to everythin' else."

"It was an accident!" grumbled Naruto before looking at the ground and pouting. "I can make instant ramen and a sandwich and… instant ramen."

"Well you know the area better than Ah do. What'd you recommend?"

Naruto ended up guiding her through many of the stands he knew of. It was a surprise to him how much of the city he recognized after spending time with Spiderman during night shifts. When he first saw the endless sea of buildings at first, he never thought he'd ever manage. The many joints were something that Spiderman pointed as well; they had been essential to his sanity in the city that never sleeps.

"It ain't bad," admitted Rogue after taking a bite of a chicken parm sandwich, "but there's no spice. It sure ain't beatin' some good ol' jambalaya."

"Everyone loves these. Kitty says that they are her new favorite," said Naruto, who had bought ten for himself, along with extra ones for later and one for Ororo.

Rogue let out a bit of a smug chuckle. "Well, Ah think that a sunshine an' rainbows daddy's girl like her can't handle the heat. How 'bout you?"

Naruto didn't know exactly what Rogue was talking about, but it sounded like a challenge. "I can handle anything," he responded, puffing his chest.

The ghost of a smile spread through Rogue's lips. "Good to know, sugah. How 'bout you take me back before Ah start to freeze."

Back at the mansion, Ororo was thankful for the food and asked if they wanted some hot chocolate. Both Naruto and Rogue agreed, though Naruto himself wanted it more for the taste than because of the cold.

Naruto was sitting on a couch in front of fireplace when Rogue walked in carrying a mug of the sweet, hot drinks and sat down next to him. Oddly enough, Rogue seemed to be less restrained in her wardrobe despite it being winter: the gloves were gone along with the long sleeves, something that she wore to usually protect others and herself from her own powers.

"Hey," muttered Naruto, realizing just how close she was despite the sofa being able to fit up to five people. Then again, Kitty did say he was pretty warm when they slept together.

"Thanks for lettin' me get outta here for a moment. It's… very hard jus' goin' around alone," said Rogue while staring into the flames. "Ah… don't have to worry about with you… for some reason."

Naruto smiled. "You can come with me and Kitty any time you want. She often likes going out and especially into the city."

"Kitty… yeah," muttered Rogue before taking another sip from her beverage. "She ain't here at the moment – back with her family." She nudged closer and looked at Naruto. "You don't have any of those as well, do you?"

A sad breath escaped Naruto. "I… never knew them. Even if some survived, they're nowhere near here."

"Ah didn't know them either. Irene brought me up an' she did alright, but she made it clear that she was not my family."

Naruto nodded. "I had people like that. The Old Man Hokage took care of most of my expenses and Iruka-sensei was there as well, but – "

"You dunno who your parents were," finished Rogue with barely disguised melancholy.

"I never knew. I don't know their faces, their names, or what they were," confessed Naruto. "So you know how it feels."

"Ah do," admitted Rogue, "but Ah stopped carin' after a while."

"What?! Why?!"

Rogue shrugged her shoulders. "Well… Irene did a good job of takin' care of me. Part of me thinks that… maybe it was for the best if Ah didn't know." She sighed. "You build up this mirage of what your parents were, an' what if it turns out that they were… not so good?"

Naruto was about to respond but he stopped and let his mind wander. He had always thought that his parents were the best; the Old Man had said they were heroes. The Sandaime would never lie, right? But then… he thought about his eyes and the possibility that having such a dōjutsu. There was only one clan that he knew of that had the same eyes at him.

Trying to go back to his early childhood, before the massacre, it seemed that the only people second to him in the line of contempt were the Uchiha clan. While Naruto's generation (particularly the girls) would admire the Uchiha, the same could not be said about the older ones, particularly those that lived during the times of the Shodaime. Many times, Naruto had witnessed an older villager spit after an Uchiha patrol had left. Among the council elders, the words "traitors", "warmongers", and "killers" had been used more than once.

Was that why the Third had said nothing? Aside from holding the Kyūbi, was he also an Uchiha "traitor"? Were his parents nothing more than traitors? He did not want to believe it but the thoughts he was trying to desperately bury were stubbornly clawing back.

"I…" muttered Naruto before jumping from his seat. "I forgot about your gift!" he exclaimed before leaving the room. Staying busy would keep the thoughts away. He returned with the two wrapped packages from earlier.

"What kinda surprise you got for me?" asked Rogue, holding one of the wrapped packages in her lap.

Naruto took a deep breath. "I guess I was thinking about family. Both of us… we don't really have one. Who do we care for then? And who cares for us?" He watched as Rogue started to open the package. "I guess the only way to do it is to choose your own family and build from that."

Beneath the wrappings was a brand-new photo album. Sometimes, when he had the chance to go to Shikamaru's, Kiba's, or Chōji's, he had seen similar albums filled with memories. Naruto always wondered if his parents were still with him if they would share something similar, something that chronicled his life with loved ones.

Both Naruto and Rogue opened their respective albums and both of them already had the first entry. It was a picture taken just a week ago with all of the members of the team and the Mansion as the backdrop.

"We have to start somewhere, even if we're not related by blood." Naruto looked down at his own album, filled with empty pages that would hopefully be full one day. "I don't want to be… forgotten."

"Ah'm not the type a gal that goes around tearin' up, but you have a knack with words, ninja-boy," said Rogue, setting the album aside. "Ah never had the chance to get close to anyone, 'specially not with this crazy power Ah have. Only person Ah can be with an' not worry 'bout killin' is… well… you. For some reason or 'nother Ah guess."

"I think it's my chakra," Naruto told her. "I have enough that it protects the outside of my body like a shield."

"Ah don't really know 'bout it… just that it seems like some sorta weird destiny," responded Rogue. "Don't you feel the same? Hard to believe it's jus' a coincidence that Ah to meet the one person Ah can touch." Naruto did not notice her hand moving until she grabbed his own. He also did not notice before that the radio had been turned on while he was gone and was now playing a soft and slow holiday tune.

Rogue stood up and pulled Naruto towards and empty space. "Come dance with me, ninja-boy," she said, her voice expressing happiness that Naruto hadn't heard from her yet.

"I can't dance," protested Naruto but Rogue just shook her head.

"Nobody can dance 'til they try it," retorted Rogue as she shakily grabbed his hand again. "Don't worry – Ah do bite but it ain't gonna hurt you."

Naruto tried to do what was natural and placed his hand on her waist while Rogue placed her own on his shoulder. There was not much technique to it, just stepping side to side. The rhythm came natural thanks to the soft beat of the tune that was accompanied with words of comfort, friendship, and love. At some point, Rogue let her head rest on his shoulder but Naruto said nothing. _'She must be tired.'_

"Ah've never celebrated this time of year," confessed Rogue, with a voice so low that one would think she was ashamed. "Never had the reason to. Just like not celebratin' birthdays. Somebody has to care enough 'bout you for it have meanin'."

Naruto breathed an uneasy chuckle. "People celebrated on the day of my birth," he realized where he was going and tried to quickly end the topic, "but not because of me. It was something of a holiday." Even after all this time, the truth of the Kyūbi was something that he kept to himself, never once had he dared to reveal the truth that might turn others against him.

"Thank you for sharin' this time with me. Ah know that Kitty an' Kurt invited you for the holidays… but you stayed behind," said Rogue once the song ended and she slowly let go of Naruto.

Naruto scratched his head. "I just thought I really shouldn't intrude. Besides, I wanted to stay with you and Ororo." He thought briefly to Spiderman and Daredevil. "…and, I _do_ have responsibilities."

"Can you give me one more gift?" asked Rogue with a whispery voice. In response, Naruto gave a nod. "Ah want to… continue with this," she said before biting her lip, "Ah don't know a better way to put it. Be closer? Talk to me more? Take me out? A gal gets lonely when people are afraid to go near her."

Naruto gave her a bright smile and a thumbs up. "I'm ready to help anytime." He began to walk away from her. "I still have to give Ororo her present. Have a good night."

"Ah will," assured Rogue before she took the photo album and went upstairs.

Ororo was in her private garden, carefully surveying each of the plants even as many died from the cold and lack of sunlight. Naruto knew this was the place where she liked to spend most of her time; close to nature and life. If anything, her smiles were rarer than Rogue's but she always managed to see one stuck on her face while watering her flowers.

"Good evening," greeted Ororo before Naruto even had the chance to say anything. Not in anger or frustration, yet nothing to betray happiness, just the regal tone the blonde had come to know from the classiest member of the team.

"Hi," responded Naruto as he struggled to handle all of the potted flowers he had bought from the market earlier. He'd been afraid they'd die within the scroll, but they were still as pretty as he saw them. "I… brought something for the garden. I thought I could help you with them."

Ororo took a quick look at the winter flowers and gave a small but sincere smile before helping him set them down. "I know these – they bloom during the winter."

Naruto nodded. "Not many of them do that. Most of the plants I had died during the winter. I never tried with these winter flowers."

The world went silent for a moment while Ororo studied the plants, even the wind did not make its presence known inside the greenhouse. "It's most curious, don't you think?" Her hands ran through the petals. "When the environment changes around them, some of these flounder while the others prosper."

Shrugging his shoulders, Naruto took a closer look at the plants. "My biology teacher would say they were meant for that environment."

"And he would be right," responded Ororo, her hand floating over the many-colored petals as if blessing them, "but I would say that perhaps one of them could do better in another. Some of these flourish more here than they do where they rose."

Naruto grinned. "That just means you take good care of them."

"Perhaps I do, or perhaps they just found the right place," said Ororo before looking back at him. "Do you truly wish to help me with them? They require a lot of care and attention."

"Even if I'm not around," he summoned several clones, "I still am."

"True. Perhaps I can entrust my garden into your hands. Quite a relief to have a backup for a time I may be absent." She walked out of the greenhouse and back into the mansion. "I believe it will fall to me and Rogue to make sure we have a holiday dinner tomorrow."

Naruto laughed. Maybe he did not really understand the reason so many people were celebrating during the same month, but anything with excessive amounts of delicious food couldn't be bad. "I can help if you want."

Ororo stopped him. "No, the ban still stands, I don't think it's a good idea to turn the kitchen into a warzone. If all fails, then you can go buy something for us to eat while we stay warm inside."

As he accompanied Ororo back into the Mansion, Naruto couldn't help but think back at what he'd been told of the meanings behind the holiday season. Love, family, caring, among others. That was not something he'd been told much in his life. Loyalty was the main thing instilled back at the Academy; to the village, the daimyō, and the Hokage. Loyalty to clan was instilled by the clan itself, and shinobi without a clan were instead loyal to their families thanks to their parents.

Naruto tried to think about what he could relate to with Christmas, Hanukkah, and the nameless celebration Ororo believed in, but try as he might, there was something that made him feel apart. There was only one thing he could say he loved, and that was Konoha, but as time went on, he could barely remember it, or why he loved his village so much.

Thinking back on it, there was very little that he could be fond of: most of the villagers either ignored or shunned him, as opposed to now where most of the people like him or at least respect him. No longer is he the class idiot, nor is he the weakest member of the team. For the life of him Naruto truly tried to reason why he loved Konoha so much, and the answer was always the same: his loved ones… loved ones he thought about less and less every single day.

It shocked Naruto to realize that he was thinking more about Jean and Kitty than virtually anyone back in Konoha. Perhaps it was the guilt that spread through him whenever he imagined Ero-Sennin, and the fact that he left without even talking to him a final time? Maybe Baa-chan thinking that he may be dead when in reality he felt safer than ever?

The warmth of Ororo's hand stopped him from thinking any more, and he couldn't be more thankful for it.

* * *

 **AN: Ah... Naruto. You dense moron.**

 **Longest chapter to date, hope it was worth the wait.**


	9. New Year, New Problems

**Naruto and Marvel belong to Masashi Kishimoto and Disney respectively.**

 **AN: Special thanks to Meneldur for helping to beta the story and giving me plenty of ideas.**

 **Chapter IX: New Year, New Problems**

* * *

January was meant to be one of the coldest times of the year, even more considering the location of the Institute, but Naruto felt pretty warm when he woke up. The grip on his arm clued in him instantly. He didn't even need to open his eyes to know that Kitty had once again phased through the wall and snuck into his bed.

He didn't mind really. She was smaller and didn't have the same natural heat he had to keep her warm. Kitty was his friend and it only made sense that if one's friend was cold, he was going to do whatever he could to prevent that. The downside to it was that he had to be a little smarter when it came to performing his nightly escapades. He'd been recently forced to leave a clone sleeping on the bed to keep appearances and dispelling it as soon as he came back.

The other problem was that Kitty preferred to sleep in. Naruto could see the light seeping in from behind the curtains but the figure at his side remained still, with her arms wrapped tightly around his of course. In that sense, the petite mutant was deceivingly strong.

Kitty had returned a couple of days ago; right after the end of the special week called Hanukkah, with a newfound energy, a big smile, and carrying a box of delicious pastries named sufganiyah for Naruto. She'd been the last to come back. Jean had been the first, her family living only a little over an hour's drive from the Institute. Scott had arrived a few days later with a tan after spending some time in Hawaii with his recently found brother. Then it had been Kurt, straight from Germany, and Logan had arrived without telling them soon after.

Tired of lying in bed Naruto finally pried Kitty off of himself and woke her up. "We need to get back up." He may not have been an early riser himself, but this was getting ridiculous. "It's back to school next week."

Kitty groaned. "Don't remind me," she slurred her words. "I need to take that test for the Stark scholarship. You're taking it too, right?"

Naruto nodded. Jean had insisted on him taking a shot at it. There were only so many times someone could refuse, even after telling everyone that he didn't want to take someone else's place, but his justifications were always ignored, with Kitty being even more vociferous about it than Jean.

"We're in the home stretch… but that one's always the hardest… _so_ tired," sighed Kitty but still stood up with a small yawn and a shiver. "I guess having all your college expenses paid for is motivation enough." She phased through the wall and back to the room that she and Rogue shared.

Naruto knew he should hit the books as well. It was easier when he could only fail tests, at least back then he had an excuse. The idea of sabotaging himself crossed his mind on more than one occasion; there would be no need for a scholarship back in Konoha, but Kitty and Jean would know about it, or at least question him extensively. It's very difficult to lie to a telepath.

Once he ate breakfast, Naruto walked back to his room and dug all the way back in his closet for his nighttime gear. There was no training tonight and he wanted to get started early. Even criminals took vacations apparently, and just like with honest and hard-working people, they came back to their job with additional energy.

Meeting Mike had been a stroke of luck; the informant seemed to be able to know the location of every single illegal activity that was happening around the city. During the past weeks, he had fought everything from Italian gangsters to Irish and even motorcycle gangs that were either shipping or distributing illicit merchandise. Petty crime was rare and now he felt that he and Spider-Man were going against the big players and not the stooges.

Hence, it was only a matter of time until their paths crossed with the Devil of Hell's Kitchen again.

"This is the last chance I'm taking with you," Daredevil warned Naruto and Spider-Man. "If you get a civilian killed, I will consider you an enemy." Naruto thought that the older man was still overreacting but nodded.

"Don't worry, 'careful' is our middle name," responded Spider-Man. "Spider-Careful-Man… I guess it's not that catchy."

They spent the rest of the day following leads, eventually leading to another warehouse guarded by armed gangsters. They were easy to deal with.

"Drugs. Straight from Latin America," commented Daredevil while they were checking the scene. "That means they're from the cartels – very dangerous people. They prefer to operate on the open, and do their violence in public."

"Wouldn't that make them easier to catch?" asked Naruto as he looked at the IDs of several of the unconscious thugs. Most of them were Mexican nationals. He'd be willing to bet they didn't pass through any legal means to be in the country.

"It does… it also means they don't care about how many people get in their way." Daredevil searched a crate filled to the brim with some type of illicit drug or another before turning towards Naruto. "Where is the next place you told us about?"

After calling the authorities with a nearby payphone as they always did, Naruto led his two companions to another dock. This time, instead of unloading containers off the ship, the armed men were loading them into the large carrier. These ones looked different than the Mexicans, but no less dangerous if the military grade rifles were any indication.

"Russians," murmured Daredevil after overhearing the voices. "We'll be taking this silently and cleanly, just as before. Move to take out the sentries first and then we'll progressively make our way to the center. How many of them are there, Maelstrom?"

"Forty. Five on the rooftops, six in the warehouse, and the rest by the containers," responded Naruto after silently dispelling the scouting clones he'd sent earlier.

The number of foes had been increasing lately, and this time it was no different. Ever since Naruto, Spider-Man, and Daredevil had started their activities, the gangs and organizations had either taken notice of them or at least seen how it was affecting their bottom line. Now, instead of half a dozen criminals at time, they were facing dozens, and instead of being armed with fists, bats, and knives, they were sporting handguns, shotguns, and assault rifles.

Unfortunately for the criminals, Naruto and his two partners already had situations like these down to an art form. The first to go down would be the ones on the rooftops and watchtowers, then, like wolves silently taking out a herd, they went for the stragglers first and further in until the last few were alone and defenseless against the brute force of Naruto's clones.

Daredevil looked quite satisfied, not a single shot had been fired this time. "Keep this up and I'll continue to work with you," he said, looking at the thugs, reaching into their pockets and retrieving passports. "Russians. Probably taking cargo from here." Those other ones look different, though.

"Oh… man!" gasped Spider-Man from inside the warehouse. Naruto went inside to see a body tied to a chair, blood pooled all over his clothes and the floor, there was only a clean stump above his neck. On the table nearby was the severed head.

If Daredevil was fazed in any way, he did not show it. "Decapitation – a cartel method. Guess that answers who the other side was."

On the side, Spider-Man looked like he wanted to do a quip, but the harsh violence was probably too much for him to handle. Even Naruto himself was disturbed by the brutality.

"Let's see if we can find anything else and then call the police," said Daredevil, closing the door to the warehouse.

Naruto looked around the ground, his clones picking up the weapons and carrying the bodies to the center where Spider-Man was silently webbing them to the ground. He searched for letters or maps or anything that might give away a second location but what little he found was written in the Cyrillic alphabet.

As he was picking one of the bodies in the outermost perimeter, he heard a muffled whimper come from the large containers that were being loaded into the ship. Naruto furrowed his brow; a figment of his imagination, or so he thought before the whimper became louder. Dropping the body unceremoniously on the ground, the blonde cut open the lock and opened the door.

The stench is what caught him first, not being able to see inside the dark metal box. Once he grabbed his flashlight, he managed to see what was housed in the blackness.

People, mostly young women but he also saw some children cramped inside the container. The only thing that they had was sweat-stained clothes and a few empty bottles of water. They were all huddled near the front since the back of the box was where the smell was emanating from. Their faces were terrified, wide eyed and hugging themselves but refusing to say a single word… all of them looking directly at Naruto.

"Err… guys!" he called out. "I… I think I found the merchandise!"

One of the prisoners – a scrawny young woman that may have looked a bit like Rogue if not for the malnutrition – timidly stepped out barefoot into the cold air and asked him something in some Eastern European language. He nervously shrugged his shoulders before she looked at the body he'd carried and called out to the rest of the people in a desperately thrilled voice.

Naruto saw as the rest of the container's occupants walked out, their faces straining to smile as if it were some alien expression that they didn't know how to do. Excited whispers grew louder and louder when they saw Daredevil and Spider-Man walking towards them, and turned into silent cheers when they saw the webbed bodies on the ground. Naruto held strong when the woman hugged him as tightly as he could, tears in her eyes and babbling words in the foreign dialect.

The rest of the containers housed more people. Some of them looked better, like the Americans that had evidently been put there recently, others looked hours away from death. There were many types imprisoned inside. Hard-looking men that would feel right at home toiling inside a mine, beautiful women that had been afforded marginally more luxurious boxes with more food, water, and even mattresses, then there were young children that Naruto did not want to think about why anyone would kidnap and sell. He heard languages from English, to Chinese, Russian, and even one young woman speaking French. All of them happy and cheering for the three mysterious strangers that had saved them.

Naruto had rarely experienced such joy. He'd been cheered at before, at Wave and during the Chūnin exams but even that was a forgotten shadow compared to this. He lost count of how many men slapped him on the back, how many women kissed his cheeks, and how many children jumped around him.

"The police will be here in about five minutes," said Spider-Man, who was just at the nearest payphone. "We should get going."

"Split up. That's enough for tonight," ordered Daredevil. "Good job… both of you. I'll find a way to stay in contact. You can always find me in Hell's Kitchen when the sun goes down."

Naruto high-fived Spider-Man one last time before jumping away, not the way back home, but to an alleyway besides a pizzeria.

"You were right," Naruto said to Mike, who was hidden in the shadows. "There was a big operation. Is there anywhere else?"

The young man he knew as Mike shook his head. "That's all for tonight. I'll see what I have next week."

Naruto grinned beneath his mask. "Right. See you… and thank you – you helped save a lot of people."

"Always a pleasure," drawled Mike before he got into a van and drove off through the mostly empty streets. Seeing the vehicle disappear into the dark he entered the pizzeria for a pie before jumping his way back upstate.

Just as he was about to leave the city, a sharp scream from what was clearly a woman reached his ears. Naruto turned around to where the cry for help had come from and saw a dark alley. Wasting no time, he jumped to the rooftop above, from where he saw a very tall and muscular man struggling with a shorter female form in the alley.

He dropped down, bending his knees as his feet hit the concrete, the assaulter probably didn't even notice him until he turned the man around, sent a knee and a punch and soon the massive body crumpled to the ground; the muscles offering no protection to Naruto's quick and efficient thrashing.

The blonde's attention then shifted to the victim, and he felt himself lost for a moment. She had to be one of the most beautiful women he'd seen… and he lived in the same place as Jean and Ororo. Red hair almost the same shade as Jean's, they even had a similar green eye color. Seeing her form made Naruto involuntarily tingle all over; a feeling he couldn't understand.

Come to think of it, he'd been uncannily interested in women's bodies a lot recently.

Just as he felt that he was regaining his senses, the woman jumped over to him with an embrace. "Thank you! Oh, thank you so much!" she gasped, holding him so tightly he felt her generous chest against his own body. Naruto immediately felt his manhood jump a little.

' _Kami! What is happening to me?!'_ Even the smell of her made him feel lightheaded. It was not until the woman finally let go that Naruto felt he was fully coherent. "N-No problem!" he stuttered and took deep breath. "You should get out of here and call the police."

"I know," drawled the woman with a smile, "but… could I please see the face of my savior? I promise I'll keep a secret." Her voice was low, yet carried something that almost made Naruto want to obey her.

For a moment there, the blonde almost followed through but a deep breath kept him. "Sorry… I… I have to go somewhere," he stammered before flickering out of there as quickly as he could. Looking down at his groin; the source of the pain was soon answered as it looked like his manhood was struggling to form a tent with his pants.

* * *

Natasha remained in her spot for a few seconds, feeling just a bit foolish as she clasped her hands above her chest with a hopeful expression. When she surmised that the black-clad figure had gone, her expression dropped, turning around to the man who'd been assaulting her earlier and giving him a slight nudge with her foot.

"Get up – he's gone." Moans of pain where her only response. "Don't be a baby. He was only a kid."

"W-Well… that k-kid's been eating his Wheaties," groaned Natasha's partner. He'd suffered a liver shot; that never failed to send someone down. "Next time, you're the one that gets beat up and I get to be the damsel in distress."

"Most young boys aren't going to be distracted enough to slip a transmitter if they've been hugged by someone sporting a Y chromosome," replied Natasha before holding her earpiece. "Black Widow to Fury. I've made contact. The GPS signal should be reaching headquarters now."

"Report back to base." That was Nick Fury alright. Not even a compliment for a perfectly executed operation. Natasha breathed deeply as her partner tried to get up but collapsed. She sighed before holding her earpiece again. "And send a medic team. I'm not carrying him back."

* * *

Going back to school was clearly not a joyous affair for the students of Bayville; they looked more like zombies than teenagers, trudging along in winterwear from one class to another, bleary eyed and resigned to three more months of work before spring break. Even Kitty and Jean – the most academically gifted of the Institute – seemed less excited than usual.

"I wanna go back to sleep," mumbled Kitty, tiredly munching on a biscuit. The cafeteria menu seemed the only thing that looked the same during the first day of class. "You said you were doing something today?" She was sitting at his side. Today was apparently not a Xavier's Institute table day where all the mutants sat together. Jean and Ororo were with the female football team and cheerleaders, Scott was all by his lonesome and Kurt was with some other classmates.

Naruto nodded. "Mr. Fantastic told me that he wanted me to meet someone. I'm going to Manhattan after school."

"I'd go with you but I have dance classes." The exhaustion left her eyes. "When are you going to come see _me_? I have a recital next week."

Naruto didn't get to respond in time before Rogue suddenly walked to the table and swiftly sat by his other side. The blonde didn't really mind so much; he'd gotten used to her being with him during mealtimes all throughout the winter holidays, but Kitty furrowed her brows and went silent.

"Hey," greeted Rogue, specifically to Naruto.

"Okay…" drawled Kitty. "I don't think we have a meeting today."

"Ah know," responded Rogue, not paying attention to her plate. "Jus' eatin'. Pretty sure that's still legal."

"Right…" sighed Kitty and Naruto felt her shuffle closer to him. "So… you wanna go out for dinner if you come back? I saw this nice Indian restaurant that just opened."

Naruto didn't get to respond before Rogue did. "Naruto… remember that you told me that you'd help me with trainin'?" Food or training? Both were equally good but he did not make a decision.

"Um… like… we've been planning to go out for weeks now. He can help you with training another day," said Kitty, her voice uneasy but sharp as a spear. Naruto could almost see the tension between both his teammates, but for the life of him, could not understand this newfound hostility.

Naruto took a moment to swallow a huge bite of a sandwich. "Why don't we all train today and go out tomorrow."

"No way. She takes _waaay_ too many hours in the bathroom," said Kitty. "That make-up takes time."

"Ah've never heard you complainin'. 'Sides, you don't even use the bathroom."

"Don't think anyone can even navigate with all the white hair dye," muttered Kitty.

"What hair dye? Mah hair color is all natural!" snarked Rogue. "First come first serve. You ain't an early riser. Where do you go in the mornin'?"

Kitty back went straight as an arrow. "Just… going for an early snack is all."

"And here I thought raidin' the fridge for a midnight sausage wasn't kosher. Shows what Ah know."

Kitty coughed on her milk and recovered with narrowed eyes. "What's your problem with me indulging in some… midnight snacks."

"You can indulge in anythin' you want… but Ah happen to have a specific diet." Rogue showed her gloved hand. "So maybe you should back off the one thing Ah can indulge in."

A loud sigh left Kitty's mouth. "Whatever," she derided. Rogue looked on silent a little before looking back at her meal. Naruto's mind was captured by the pile of food in front of him, but still noticed that both Rogue and Kitty shuffled just a bit closer to him.

' _It's still winter. They must be cold,'_ Naruto didn't know why both girls were getting so nervous. Sausage tasted good and he sometimes went down for a midnight snack… but Kitty hadn't. It's like they were speaking in a completely alien language than him.

The rest of the conversation went the same, with Kitty and Rogue talking to each other and ending with both sets of eyes set in glares until the bell sounded and they had to go back to their scholarly routine. Naruto's next didn't have either of them, for better or for worse.

"Welcome back to class!" greeted Professor McCoy. "Now, I know you are all still wishing you were on vacation, but hopefully you'll return to your normal selves. Let's start this semester with something simple – Planck's constant!"

If there was ever a teacher that made Naruto actually excited to learn something, it was Professor Hank McCoy. The man was built like a wrestler with bulging muscles and a broad frame. Indeed, he even doubled as the PE teacher, and yet his passion really showed when he was either quoting classical literature or he was talking about science.

Naruto waved the rest of his friends away as they left to go back to the Institute while he jumped all the way to Manhattan until the Baxter building was in view. He nodded to the guard who had probably been told in advance that he'd be coming and gave him permission to access the upper floors.

The first thing that hit him was the smell. The blonde jinchūriki had never been someone that kept a place tidy, but even he widened his eyes at the state of the pigsty that the Fantastic Four's base had become since the last time he'd visited. The floor was cluttered with objects that he could only imagine how they'd gotten there in the first place. Cheap takeout was all over the place: pizza, tacos, Chinese, burgers, and hotdog remains combined into a rancid smell while in the middle of one of the couches, Ben Grimm was snoring loudly.

"Hey Naruto!" greeted Johnny as he came from the kitchen with another bag of fast food, adding it to a small mountain of remains. "Reed's waiting for you at his lab."

Naruto gave his fellow blonde a deadpan look. "You _really_ need to get Sue back."

"C'mon! You know that we guys can't give up that easily." The older teen let out a cringe as a mountain of mess collapsed. "She needs us more than we need her." A small explosion coming from the kitchen rocked the building. "There's nothing that she can do that we can't." Johnny quickly sidestepped just in time to avoid a piece of the ceiling that was about to fall on his head. "We'll live."

Reed's lab was better, if only slightly; the only thing he could really complain about were the gadgets and tools cluttered around the tables and the floors, but at least it didn't smell like an animal had died. The leader of the Fantastic Four was, as always, oblivious to anything that was not absorbed in his work,

Naruto had been so focused on the genius scientist; he initially didn't realize that there was someone else in the lab with them. The figure was tall, older, with the white hair at the sides of his head bearing some similarity to Reed Richard's, but other than that, there were no other things that would say they were related, especially when taking into account the difference in clothes.

The man was dressed in in a blue shirt with a sort of white symbol etched in the front. A gold sash tied around his waist and below that a pair of black trousers with boots of the same color. What immediately caught Naruto's attention, however, was the billowing red cape that went from the man's collar all the way to his feet, with gold patterns etched into the edges. Finally, a golden talisman in the shape of an open eye rested around his neck.

"Ah, Naruto. You've yet to meet Dr. Stephen Strange," welcomed Reed, finally tearing his gaze from whatever he was working on and turned towards him. "I brought him in to see if he can help us at all with the mystery of your interplanetary travel."

Dr. Strange nodded his head, keeping his gloved hands to himself. "Pleased to meet you, Mister..."

"Naruto Uzumaki."

"Can you show us the sphere you made last time?" asked Reed. Rarely had Naruto seen the brilliant scientist get away from his work so the blonde wasted no time in summoning a clone and molding chakra into his right hand until the blue ball was spiraling on his palm.

Dr. Strange widened his eyes if only slightly and directly observed the Rasengan. "How are you doing this? Is it some power that you obtained?"

Naruto shook his head. "I learned the technique from my sensei but I do it by molding chakra."

"Chakra?" asked Dr. Strange.

"Yeah. Everyone has it – even you, but I guess it's a special ability of ours to be able to mold it and use techniques with it." Naruto spent the next hour explaining chakra, _jutsu,_ and his world to Dr. Strange. He'd told so many people now that he doubted Konoha would care at this point.

"So, you're not different from others in your world, then? I had assumed you had come to your powers through some accident or technological means." Dr. Strange's eyes continued to observe, likes spears trying to pierce any little detail.

"What do you think?" interrupted Dr. Richards as he took several photographs of the blue ball.

Dr. Strange straightened himself. "Well he's from this universe, at least. Not from this planet, but definitely from our reality."

"That doesn't really tell me much," deadpanned Naruto, dispelling the Rasengan. "What I need to know is where my planet is located."

"The universe is vast. Finding a single planet would be like finding a grain of sand in all of the beaches of this Earth." The cloaked man pointed at his hand. "What I can tell you is that _that_ was not what brought you here."

"What do you mean? I told you that I used this _jutsu_ against another _jutsu_ and after that I was sent here!"

"That may be so, and that might have contributed to it, but that technique – as powerful as it is – is not enough to send you from one planet to another, let alone the distance you must have travelled from another exoplanet."

"Then how did I get here?" questioned Naruto, heart galloping so hard that he could feel blood pumping to his head. "What is the explanation?"

"The universe holds many mysteries. Some we can learn; others are far beyond our comprehension. I cannot tell the answer of this one yet, but perhaps we can learn in time." Dr. Strange took out a piece of paper with something scribbled in it. "Come to me when you've cooled your head and we may yet discover something." He then turned his back on Naruto and a sparkling circle appeared in front of him. The tall man stepped inside and out of Reed's office before the circle disappeared, as if it had just swallowed the mysterious man.

"I'm sorry we couldn't find out more," spoke Mr. Fantastic. "Once I had heard Dr. Strange talk of other universes and I thought that was a possibility. Believe it or not, we've actually narrowed your place of origin to our universe – that's a big step forward."

"I guess," muttered Naruto. He'd have to return to the Mansion again, not that being in the Xavier Institute was a bad thing; they actually treated him better in many ways than his friends in Konoha… but it'd gotten a bit tense with Kitty and Rogue for some reason or another. He put it down as one of those "girl things" that Sakura had beat him a lot over when she got into a fight with Ino.

But it wasn't just Kitty and Rogue. There had been a recent tension inside the Mansion especially after the ordeal with Mystique. Scott was even more distant than usual, Jean was like that as well, though that could be attributed to the combination of midterms and her boyfriend being a douchebag. Ororo barely spoke to anyone, Wolverine pushed them harder than usual… and was doing whiskey shots harder than usual, and the Professor barely left his office.

"You're smart," Naruto pointed out to Reed Richards. "Do you know why girls… do what they do?"

Reed didn't look away from whatever he was tinkering with. "I don't bother… have never bothered. There is no formula for women. Trying to understand them is futile. Their wants, I have found, are often contradictory."

Naruto groaned. "I'm having problems with two of my teammates."

"Female teammates, I assume," muttered Reed, sounding as if he was talking to himself. "Might be their time of the month. Do not ask them if they are, however – I learned that the hard way – the symptoms are very obvious: an emotionally irritated mood, delirium, and a constant state of passive-aggressiveness. It should wear out in about a week," he instructed before going silence. That told Naruto that it was time to go.

' _Time of the month? What does he mean by that?'_ wondered Naruto but thought it best not to ask any of his female teammates. Perhaps Logan would know.

As he would soon find out, Wolverine had gone again on a personal mission for the Professor. At least Kitty and Rogue had gone to different areas to train for the day, and neither of them asked him to accompany them like the last time. Working his frustrations on the danger room, he arrived at his bed to sleep for the night, this time with no Kitty.

Sleep was, however, without rest, as he soon found himself ankle deep in water, standing in front of the floating Sage.

"You have been more diligent in your efforts," commended the old man. He wasn't even using his hand to draw the seals; the brush danced gracefully to form perfect symbols on the white scroll with telekinesis, far more advanced than both Naruto and Jean were capable of.

Naruto _had_ been practicing, of that there was no doubt, using the kit that was gifted to him during the holidays to try and improve the drawing of the complex seals. Until now he had never thought of the application of the art of fūinjutsu as anything other than a method to seal weapons into scrolls and chakra monsters into shinobi… and then he remembered something.

"Can any of these seals store chakra? Make it so it covers the entire body?" asked Naruto, dropping his brush and concentrating his gaze away from the white scroll and into the Sage's ringed, purple eyes.

The Sage, as always, was never direct with his answers. "Why would you wish such a thing? Your body is already covered in chakra naturally, more than regular chakra users."

Naruto shook his head. "Not for me… I'm thinking maybe I can make it so somebody else can have an effect similar to mine with a seal. Not to use it but more as a… shield."

"Am I to assume you wish to grant this shield to the troubled woman with the white streak on her hair?"

"Her name is Rogue... and yes, that is what I'm thinking. If I can't help her with this then what good are seals for?"

The Sage was still, cool as ever, and yet Naruto could still see the ghost of a smile touch the older man's features. "You will come to realize that seals have more applications than you know… in time of course. But I am glad that you have found an altruistic reason for using your talents. Fūinjutsu is an indispensable art to your family's history."

Naruto felt his stomach dropping like a stone at the mention of family. He'd not asked the Sage about it. Maybe Rogue was right. Maybe it might be better if he never knew about it. In his dreams, his mother was beautiful and kind; his father brave and strong, no matter what some villager might say in a drunken stupor… and yet he had the Sharingan: the red eye that could only come from one bloodline… a dishonorable and cursed clan. He tried to find a way to deny it. Blonde hair and blue eyes were just as common in the Uchiha as pigs in the sky.

And yet, he had the Sharingan.

The thoughts devoured his inner peace. It should be absolutely impossible, just as it was impossible that he was in any way related to the Shodaime. The Uchiha clan were all massacred, and even before that not one would come and claim him. No uncles, no aunts. No cousins or grandparents. Not a single time did any of the dark-haired shinobi spare him a second's glance.

And yet… he had the Sharingan.

His mind returned to Rogue and Kitty, the latter of which had thankfully not chosen to sleep with him tonight. It was much more comforting to think of them, or Jean, or Ororo than anything to do with his parentage. Mental images were happily welcomed, and soon Naruto was thinking of Jean's crimson hair, Kitty's smile, Ororo's long legs, Rogue's curvy body… no! Back to Jean. Jean with her emerald eyes; the icing on a perfect face, with full lips that made him hunger… stop!

' _Oh, Kami! It's happening again!"_ Naruto looked again at the Sage, desperate for help for something he hadn't even identified yet. "Can you tell if I've been poisoned."

"Poison? Highly unlikely. It'd have to be quite potent for it to harm you."

Naruto grunted while looking at the ground. "I don't know what's happening to me. I should go see a doctor."

"What is this phenomenon that you're experiencing?"

Taking a deep breath, Naruto steeled himself for an explanation. "Well… I guess it started a few months ago and it's been getting worse. Sometimes when I'm close to my friends… I start to feel warm and tingly and I can't think straight. Now that I think about it… it's almost like the Kyūbi wants to come out!"

If the smile before had been a mere ghost before, then this time around it was at least visible. "That is not poison or your tenant… that's hormones."

"Hormones? What do you mean?" asked Naruto. He'd heard the term before in some class that he should've paid more attention to but it hardly answered his question.

"Puberty is upon you… and it's cutting through you like a fine blade through the gentlest grass."

A loud groan echoed throughout the empty room. "There you go with your lingo again, old man. Puberty? What the hell is that and how do I get rid of it?"

"I am to assume you did not listen to your instructors… either that or it was not taught to you. Unfortunately, I am not the one to impart this lesson to you, young descendant… as a matter of fact, we're done for now."

Naruto didn't even have the time to breathe a response before he came to the familiar sight of his room, still dark, only illuminated by the full moon. "Liar," grunted Naruto. "Just another thing he's weaseled himself out of." He'd have to ask the Professor now, or at least Logan.

He couldn't really go back to sleep now; the ending of the sessions with the Sage always left him with a racing heart rapidly pumping blood into his brain. Trying to regulate his breath, he stood up and changed.

Logan was downstairs, nursing a beer, nary a soul besides him. He looked outside a window. "The sky ain't falling… you must be a clone then." Naruto shook his head. "Huh… never thought I'd see the day you woke up before sunrise."

"I can't sleep," admitted Naruto, opening the fridge but quickly saw that it was empty. Of course, today was grocery day.

"Sometimes your brain doesn't let you sleep… too troubled to do anything," agreed Logan, forming a fist just in time for three adamantium coated claws to spring up. "Best remedy is to tire yourself out. Stabbing things always works. Breaking them is even better… and we have a whole room downstairs for ourselves."

Any other day and Naruto would have been against being in the Danger Room at such an early time, but with nothing to eat and everyone else asleep, having the chance to go all out on virtual foes was infinitely appealing. With any hope, he might be able to completely wipe his mind from everything that had been going on with the old man that lived inside his mind.

It was a good thing that Naruto was truly awake; Logan apparently did not believe in the concept of warmups. "If Magento comes around, he ain't going to wait until you're finished with crunches, brat," justified the older, more experienced mutant. "You have to be able to retaliate at any time… or you're dead."

Naruto dodged another rain of high-speed bolts. "I know that. I'm a shinobi." It never hurt to practice, especially since he had more trouble than Sakura and Sasuke when it came to detecting enemies. He'd been working on developing his "sixth sense". For some reason, it'd been easier since his travel to Earth, even without the Sharingan.

Eventually, he was joined by Ororo and Scott, followed by Jean and Rogue, Kitty trailing behind them, and Kurt was the last. By then, Logan had lowered the difficulty, if only a tad, just enough for the rest of the team to not get sliced in half by a flying buzz saw or incinerated by lasers. The impromptu session was not just breaking stuff, either. Now they were faced with a hostage situation; the AI designed to be immune to telepathy much to Jean's chagrin. An entire family was being held at knifepoint, one member in every room; one member for everyone in the team.

" _We all have to go together at the same time,"_ said Jean through the team's telepathic link. Each member was situated at a point of entry, silent as they could – any noise could be potentially fatal to the hostages.

" _Ready… get set… now!"_ messaged Jean and Naruto immediately knocked open the door, concentrating on the realistically simulated artificial intelligence's knife, and used his mental powers to wrench it from his hand before rushing forward and taking the thug out. After a few seconds longer, the simulation ended, and the suburban house they were in turned to the high-tech gray walls of the Danger Room.

"If we ever come across a hostage situation," grumbled Logan while looking at Scott, Ororo, and Rogue, "you three are staying put." Their hostages had died. Scott missed the target while Ororo and Rogue could not reach them in time.

Both Ororo and Rogue seemed to understand, albeit with the former looking just a bit miffed while Rogue brushed it off. Scott, on the other hand, stared at the floor with a hardened jaw and clenched fists. Obviously, the self-appointed leader of the team felt that he should lead by example, more than likely why he spent every minute of every day training.

"I should've been more careful," Scott berated himself for the tenth time – Kitty had been keeping count – while they were sitting for a late lunch. Naruto did not know how he came up with the leadership position; he already seemed to have that when the blonde had arrived. Whether he had risen up the ranks or appointed by the Professor, he clearly took the position seriously.

Or, as Jean had put it, he took it too personally.

"We're going back to the Danger Room after lunch," proclaimed Scott. He didn't even have time to sit down again before everyone sighed.

"No," responded Jean, voice as firm as a rock.

"But… Jean…" started Scott but the redhead stood still, voice firm as a cold wall.

"My idea of a Sunday is not exactly to spend all day inside a simulation, Scott. I understand that we must train, but our lives cannot revolve around that."

Naruto did not interfere. Training was good, and the fact that it was being done with actual practice as opposed to the more theory-driven shinobi education he'd received from the Academy made it even better. He was, however, quite aware that not all his new teammates had the same appreciation for training as he had.

Almost immediately, Kitty stood up from her seat. "Yeah! I'm already tired and I have dance classes tomorrow. My teacher is totally a slave driver!" she exclaimed, proving Naruto's assumptions.

" _Ja!_ You don't have to worry about teleporting into a wall and getting crushed! I need a breather!" agreed Kurt. The rest were silent, but that said more than words.

Scott's jaw was tight, looking at each of the team before breathing deeply and stepping out of the table. "I'll be training outside, then," he proclaimed, stiffly marching away and closing the door behind him.

Naruto was tempted to follow for more training, even with the five inches of snow that covered all of the courtyard, but before he even had a chance to make up his mind, he felt Kitty's arms enclose around his own.

"Come on." She pulled him towards vast entertainment room – a place that Naruto had admittedly never entered.

There were several tables for board games, both family friendly ones and those intended for the games regularly played at the casino. At one end of the room, there was the beginning of a small library. Unlike the larger one upstairs, the books were not academically oriented. Novels, more than anything. The centerpiece of the room was a large screen, surrounded by a large sofa that could easily fit around a dozen people.

If Naruto was told to look underneath the underneath, he'd say that the Professor made this room with more than just six students in mind.

"Too bad they bought only the new equipment," sighed Jean, kneeling down at the contraptions beneath the screen. "My dad has a huge VHS collection."

Kitty was not of the same mind. "We started the year two thousand and three less than month ago – the future is DVD. Movies look better in them, too," retorted Kitty while looking at the movie collection before picking one case. "The guys back home loved this one last year," she said, looking directly at Naruto.

Truthfully, Naruto wanted to go back and train but as soon as Kitty turned on the screen, she jumped back to him and pulled him down on the sofa, sitting at the right of him. Ororo did not seem painfully interested in the movie, neither did Jean. Kurt on the other hand, was already smiling with a large bucket of popcorn. Rogue… she had promptly sat down on Naruto's left side.

The movie was fun. Filled with explosions and action but at the same time it told a nice story of a young man who found himself with new powers and learned to use them for good, while his best friend, who also gained similar powers, became the bad guy. Kitty got especially clingy when the good guy and a girl ended up kissing but he was a little more into the rivalry between the two friends.

Every time he tried not to think about home, something pulled him back.

Halfway through the movie, a sour looking Scott had entered the room and sat down on one end of the sofa, saying absolutely nothing. Naruto only took a few moments to see that he looked as stony-faced as ever but still watched the movie with no complaints. "Well… I think it was good," he finally said when the ending credits rolled.

"It was awesome!" agreed Kurt

"I think it was dumb," said Jean, with Ororo slightly nodding. "But I guess this is the stuff that sells."

"Brainless fun," said Kitty. "Not every movie needs to be an auteur masterpiece."

"It's not all brainless," defended Scott, straightening himself out on his seat. "I think there was a message there about how heroes should act. It's inspiring."

Jean sighed. "Are you seeing a bit of yourself in the protagonist?" Naruto did not know if Scott did, but could not deny that he did feel that he could understand the main character of the movie… though he still wouldn't reveal that.

Scott nodded. "Well… we kind of are heroes, aren't we? Or at least we are the good guys. The Professor is training us to be benefit humanity and –"

"The Professor," stated Jean, loudly and clearly, "is teaching us how to control our gifts, not training us for war. I am here to learn how to protect myself and others, not harm them."

"You have to be ready to fight if you want to be a part of the team," retorted Scott.

"Defend myself, maybe," responded Jean, closing her green eyes. "I am here to learn control… that's it. With all gratitude to Professor Xavier, I don't expect to stay in this mansion forever. I'll graduate, go to college, fit in with the rest of society… do something with my life besides being a mutant."

"Yeah!" yelled Kitty, still holding onto Naruto. "I'm here to learn how not to phase all the way down to China, but I totally want to be normal in the end."

Rogue snorted. "Some of us _can't_ be normal."

"Ja," muttered Kurt, not bothering to hide his blue, furry form with the image inducer.

"We must all try to fit in this world, even when our path is now yet clear to use," offered Ororo, always the most reasonable one of the team. She turned to the blonde jinchūriki, silent throughout the debate. "Do you not think so, Naruto?"

"I…" Naruto could not respond. The circumstances in which these people found themselves in were much different than his own. Back home, he'd chosen to get into the shinobi program, chosen to wear the headband, dreamed of becoming Hokage. Jean, Scott, Ororo, Kitty, Rogue, and Kurt… they never had that choice – fate had taken that role.

Fate. A word that reminded too much of Neji, born into the world with a curse marked on his forehead just like Naruto had one on his stomach. A curse was a way in which he'd heard Kitty call her powers at one time, and more than once from Rogue. New powers did not seem like a curse to him, not the way he grew up, at least… he thought he had been cursed the day Mizuki had told him about what was inside of him… but it was only a curse if he let it be.

"I don't know why things happen to us," started Naruto, everyone silent while he spoke. "Seems like some things were just predetermined to happen. We didn't ask for it… and yet here we are." His mind travelled back, to Neji, to Gaara, to Sasuke, and back to himself. "But I don't think we need to be ruled by it. If you want to go about on your normal lives, that's fine. If you want to do something more with your powers, that's fine too, as long as you do it for the benefit of others."

He remembered just a few days ago when he had helped liberate those people from the containers; the deep wave of satisfaction that crashed into him just as hard as when he'd helped Izuna during his first mission in Team Seven. "It's good to help people, that's what we should do. Whether you want to do it by helping them directly or by beating those that would harm them, either way is great."

Not even the whisper of sound was heard, Naruto didn't even bother counting the seconds before Jean finally spoke up. "Couldn't have said it better myself. Now…" She looked at the library of movies and pulled one out with her mind. "Since I assume your need for computer generated explosions is satiated, I think it's the ladies' turn," she said, revealing the cover to be a time-piece drama.

Naruto wanted to groan just as loudly as Kurt but was once again pulled by Kitty onto his seat.

* * *

In the rare times all of the crime bosses of New York met together, the tension was always palpable. None of the people liked each other; if the circumstances were right, they would not hesitate to betray each other for just one small piece of turf. Even now, Wesley saw that his boss, Wilson Fisk, kept a guarded poker face when faced against the heads of New York's criminal organizations.

Sitting at the opposite side of the round table from Mr. Fisk was the boss of one of New York's most ancient clandestine institutions. Silvermane may have grown frail in his years, but despite pushing towards his nineties, those eyes were just as ruthless as ever. Where muscle was needed, one only need to look behind him to look at the perfectly square headed Hammerhead. The Maggia had survived all these years for a reason.

There were others as well: Chinese triads, the Japanese yakuza, the Russian Mafia, the Irish, and the Mexican cartels. All of them represented with their regional boss and accompanied with at least two bodyguards. Wesley was only here as an assistant. Bowers and Clinton were the ones chosen to protect Mr. Fisk tonight

Not that Wilson Fisk ever needed protection, of course.

The silence was broken by Joaquín Gutiérrez, who slammed his fist against the table. "That's another one of my shipments taken! I swear that I end up losing more _cristal_ than I sell! _La policía_ then confiscates it! I thought we paid them?!"

"It's those vigilantes," responded Mr. Yoshioka. "The police are getting paid enough but even they can't do anything if they find a warehouse full of poison."

"Then pay more!" responded Gutiérrez.

Silvermane coughed. "The ones that aren't paid are the ones too noble to be paid."

"Kill a few of them, then we'll see how many of them refuse. _Plata o plomo –_ silver or lead. Two clear choices."

" _Chyort!"_ came the voice from Gutiérrez's, where Vladimir Ranskahov was seated. "My shipment for this month! Gone! All because of those freaks!"

Wesley turned briefly to see the ghost of a frown appear on Wilson Fisk's face for only a second. Wesley's boss disliked everyone in this meeting, but none more than Gutiérrez and Ranshakov, especially the latter. There was one enterprise that the Russian specialized in: human trafficking. The only person willing to stomach that vile trade was Gutiérrez. Even Silvermane looked like he had eaten something awful when looking at Ranskahov.

"What about you, Fisk?" asked Gutiérrez, face distorted into a glare. "The Japanese have been hit, the Chinese have been hit, the Russians, the Irish, _I've_ been hit more than anyone… even fucking Silvermane's been hit… all but you."

Wilson Fisk disguised his disgust better than a professional poker man. "I am someone that finds himself with one foot on legal business and the other with you. It took some time and a lot of money, but a well-built infrastructure lasts better than one quickly built. I don't rely on pushing drugs to children or taking people to and from Russia, Mr. Gutiérrez."

The Mexican laughed. "So, you are telling me to get into a suit, call some lawyers, and get fat? Spare me, _Señor_ Fisk. You are the one that knows the police and the mayor. Is it not a coincidence that you're the only one that isn't suffering?"

"The police, the politicians, and the public will find it easier to ignore accounting errors than methamphetamines on the streets and missing women and children," retorted Wilson Fisk.

Before Gutiérrez could say any more, Silvermane interjected. "The problem is clear to all of us." The voice was tired and raspy, to be expected from a man so old, and yet Wesley could hear the steel underneath. "These vigilantes – the Spider-Man, the Devil, and the Maelstrom. When these… pests are gone, we can go back to normalcy."

"Indeed," responded Fisk. "Though, lacking the muscle that you… gentlemen possess, I'm afraid I can do little to help."

"You can, Fisk," growled Silvermane. "Tell your police friends that we need access to their files and records to track down these outlaws and bring them to… justice."

"The captain that these vigilantes call is one of the untouchable ones," said Fisk, fingering the top of his cane. "George Stacy has no price."

Vladimir Ranshakov grinned, showing yellow and chromed teeth. "Every man has a price, even if it's not money. Does this man have a wife? A son?"

"A daughter," confirmed Silvermane.

"Even better," continued Ranshakov. "Fathers always have a soft spot for their daughters."

These people were walking on egg shells now, Wesley realized. To talk of kidnapping a police captain's daughter? Had the Russian lost his mind? Both Silvermane and Gutiérrez seemed to be warm to the idea. He did not need to see his boss's face to see that Fisk disapproved, as well as Nobu Yoshioka and Madame Gao. Finn Cooley from the Irish mob did not seem to care either way.

"I believe that you gentlemen have a plan," said Fisk, standing from his seat. "I will let you plan amongst yourselves. Hopefully you will be able to bring down these troublemakers." The large man stood from his seat and offered his arm to the grateful looking Madame Gao before leaving with Yoshioka speeding ahead.

"You know that the Mexican and the Russian will be following," said Madame Gao in Mandarin. Thankfully, Wesley was able to follow the conversation.

"I have foreseen this," assured Wilson Fisk while helping her get into the back seat of a black car with tinted windows.

Madame Gao smiled. "It is necessary to clean the house before the neighborhood… and we have a very dirty house."

"Of course," said Fisk while closing the door and watching both the Yazuka and Triad delegation speed away through the rain filled night. Just behind them, the rest of the heads got into their own vehicles, leaving the lonely construction site behind.

Before they could get into their own car, however, the Mexican delegation's truck reversed into theirs hard enough to destroy the engine, followed by Gutiérrez and his driver getting out with guns. From behind, Wesley heard two more men step outside the darkness. Bowers and Clinton reached for their side-arms but Wilson Fisk raised his hand.

"Not so mighty now, eh… _pendejo?"_ gloated Gutiérrez, holding a revolver directly at Fisk. Bowers and Clinton had been disarmed and forced to kneel on the ground along with Wesley while Wilson Fisk stood calm and defiant.

"You do realize what you are doing?" questioned Mr. Fisk, taking out a cigar and lighting it, never once losing his cool. "You do anything to me and the entire city will come for you. The police, the mayor… everyone."

"Fuck you! This is my city now, _cabrón!_ I will take over from you!" growled Gutiérrez, prodding Fisk's stomach with the barrel of his gun. "The police will answer to me now! If they do not, I kill them! If this Stacy man does not do as I say, I take his daughter, then I kill him! If the rats that take my _cristal_ do not stop, I kill them! If the mayor does not do as I say, I kill him! You are old news, fat man!"

"House of cards," whispered Wilson Fisk, taking a long drag of his cigar. "New York is not Mexico. You cannot kill everyone against you."

"There you go with your arrogance again. Where is your giant criminal empire now, eh? I have more men than you! I have more guns than you!"

Fisk took another drag of his cigar. "The funny thing about a house of cards… it's easier to build than most people think. The problem is not building it – the problem is maintaining it. A wrong touch, a soft breeze… a small movement…"

One of the men holding a suppressed assault rifle stepped back from his two comrades and quickly aimed at their heads, firing two shots in the blink of an eye before they both hit the ground, with blood oozing on the pavement. Before Gutiérrez could react, Wilson Fisk sent a mighty slug towards his face, revolver falling to the ground.

"… and the house of cards comes tumbling down."

Bowers and Clinton stood up wordlessly and retrieved their firearms, quickly surveying the area to see if there were any onlookers. Highly unlikely, Wesley thought. This place had been chosen specifically because few people ever came to this area. That might change once the building was rebuilt into Mr. Fisk's new five-star hotel, but that project was still two years away.

"I knew you were a rat. I knew you were the one behind those men!" spat Gutiérrez once he recovered from the blow

"I am not, but they have done a spectacular job at cleaning up your filth," drawled Fisk while taking another drag from his cigar. "You had a lot of men, but quality always trumps quantity. Only hire those that you can trust… is that not correct, Wesley?"

Wesley nodded and then turned towards Clinton, who quickly nodded back before he raised his gun towards the traitor's head and shot him; the body soon joining those he had betrayed.

"Heh… not willing to pay him?" spat Gutiérrez.

"Hardly, but he betrayed you for money, he would have betrayed me as well. Quality over quantity."

"You think it's over with me?! My brothers will come from Mexico! The entire cartel will be out for you! Thousands will come to avenge me! I –"

Any other word was silenced by Wilson Fisk's meaty and powerful fist. Gutiérrez fell to the ground but didn't have even the time to get up before being pummeled again. "You… will… not… spread… your… filth… in… my … city… again!" roared Fisk, punctuating each word with a mighty pummel.

The calm man that Wesley knew was gone in an uncontrollable rage. He sighed – it was going to get messy again.

The anger stopped after exactly five minutes. Where Mr. Gutiérrez's face once was, now there was only a red sludge that combined skin, cartilage, muscle, brains, and fragments of bone in a gory pile of mush. Even then, Wilson Fisk glared at the remains before straightening his suit and tie, noticing the stains of blood on them. He took out another cigar and lit it before taking a drag and looking at his watch.

"Call the restaurant and tell them to push back my reservation… and get in contact with the crew to clean up the… trash." Clinton and Bowers had returned with another car and Fisk got inside. "Remember that I have dinner with the senator tomorrow. I want no inconveniences."

Wesley nodded firmly before taking out his cellphone and allowing himself a quick sigh. He hated when things got messy.

* * *

 **AN: There we go with a new chapter. Hope you liked it. If it was not clear before with the comments of the World Trade Center, the story takes place in the year 2003. Of course, real-life people and politicians are not the same but I'm hoping to reflect the zeitgeist of what was happening during the events of that time.**

 **Join me on Discord**

 **Link:** **FEKnu79**

 **Until next time**

 **The Metal Sage**


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